A survey by the Law Gazette has found that 64% of female lawyers feel that women are disadvantaged at work in the legal profession because of their gender.
That figure compares to just 19% of men who said the same about being a man working in law. Seven in ten women working in private practice said their gender had been a disadvantage compared to 71% in commerce and industry.
When asked whether they had personally been discriminated against, 34% of the women questioned said yes, increasing to 43% for female partners and to 42% for female associates and assistants. Just 17% of men said they had personally experienced discrimination.
Examples of ‘blatant discrimination’ described by women lawyers included earning less money than male colleagues they were more experienced than and being made redundant whilst off on maternity leave. Some said they had been told that they would need to work harder than a man to do well in the profession.
One woman said a male colleague on an equal professional footing was always given large, complex cases over her. She felt that this enabled him to gain more experience, hit targets and progress in his career more quickly. Others said the legal profession was still a ‘boys’ club’ and that networking events were dominated by men.
One female lawyer said: “As an employment lawyer, I have to advise on flexible working and maternity rights, only to see them flouted in law firms and companies all the time.”
