For leaders in the legal industry, achieving a 40:40:20 leadership balance is critical to improve the gender pay gap and diversity in senior positions. Research by WGEA has shown that this split amongst the higher ranks (across all professional industries) would reduce Australia’s gender pay gap by a third, which remained unchanged from 2021 when compared to 2022 figures. For leaders hoping to transform their firm’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, it is imperative to support women to work in a way that suits them. McKinsey’s 2022 Women in the Workplace survey shows that when women are supported to work how they choose, tangible outcomes for the organisation are shown to have improved and DEI initiatives are more likely to be implemented. Employers can improve the balance of women in leadership by offering managers more training and support, setting KPIs, tracking performance effectively and offering benefits such as childcare and parental leave.
Firm leaders working to promote gender equality in leadership and management teams should understand the importance of individualising the employee experience to suit both their circumstance, and the realities of being a woman in law. As flexibility has allowed women to achieve a better balance between their personal and professional lives, firm leaders still need to consider how and if observational opportunities can transition into remote environments.
Whilst the Australian legal industry is taking active and conscious steps to host meaningful conversations around female representation in law; as demonstrated recently through the development of initiatives such as Lawyer’s Weekly Women in Law Forum and the Women in Law Awards. Firms with underrepresentation of female leaders need to take responsibility in identifying areas where bias may be preventing women from stepping up. It is integral that those firms ensure men and women are applying for promotions at similar rates, outcomes are actively monitored to ensure equity and hiring practices are without bias. After all, shouldn’t leadership teams reflect the state of our legal system and the women who, in both senses of the word, represent it?