The International Bar Association (IBA) recently published the results of a global survey regarding the workplace experiences of more than 5,000 women who are either working in law or have recently left the field. The report reveals persistent structural barriers to senior leadership, widespread burnout, and ongoing gender inequality in the legal profession.
According to the report, respondents cited flexible working arrangements as the most effective career support system offered by their workplace, with 33 percent of participants saying flexible arrangements have had the most beneficial impact on their career progression. Coaching and mentoring opportunities were also cited as highly beneficial, with 20 percent of respondents reporting these opportunities as the most influential initiatives in their careers.
Despite these positive benefits, the majority of women in law said these existing support systems are not enough. Survey respondents from different jurisdictions called for stronger action across several areas, including greater pay equity and transparency, improved mental health support, improved support for parents and caregivers, expanded access to professional development opportunities, and targeted support for key life stages like menopause and perimenopause.
A significant portion of respondents said they often struggle to balance their professional responsibilities with caring obligations. About half of all women surveyed said they have dependent children, while almost 40 percent said they had caring responsibilities in addition to, or other than, childcare.
In addition to challenges with balancing their work and personal responsibilities, women consistently revealed several other persistent barriers to their success at work, including gender discrimination, bullying and harassment, the ongoing gender pay gap, underrepresentation of women in leadership roles, and career burnout. Respondents also stressed the importance of implementing support networks and a desire for greater diversity and inclusion across all areas of legal practice.
Based on these findings, the report authors offer several recommendations for legal workplaces, professional bodies, and individual members of the legal field who are looking to build an equitable profession for all. The authors stress the importance of ensuring the visibility of workplace initiatives focused on cultural change, normalizing flexible work arrangements, building formalized coaching and mentoring programs for women, promoting and supporting women’s wellbeing, recognizing and supporting the life stages and caring responsibilities of women, and ensuring support for women working as solo practitioners and those in smaller organizations.