Women in law still face discrimination

As the legal profession marks the 50th anniversary of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, new research from the Next 100 Years project has found that an overwhelming 88% of women in law feel that sex discrimination remains prevalent in the industry. This sentiment is echoed by 63% of respondents who reported experiencing discriminatory behaviour in the workplace in the past five years, alongside 84% who knew colleagues facing similar issues. The research highlights a troubling picture of the current climate in law, with just 2% of women believing that discrimination is a thing of the past.

Concerns about the future of equality initiatives were also raised, particularly in light of external pressures. Following US President Donald Trump's pushback against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, 64% of respondents expressed fears that law firms might deprioritise these important initiatives. While over half (51%) indicated that their organisation takes allegations of sex discrimination seriously, a significant portion—20%—felt otherwise. Alarmingly, 70% of women stated that they or a colleague had refrained from reporting incidents of discrimination due to fears of negative repercussions on their careers.

The 1975 Sex Discrimination Act was supposed to protect individuals from discrimination based on sex or marital status across various settings, including employment, training, education, and harassment. Although a majority (65%) acknowledged that legislation has driven some progress toward equality, only a small fraction believe sex discrimination is no longer an issue.

Interestingly, the research indicates a shift in the nature of discrimination, with 70% of participants noting that while discriminatory behaviours persist, they tend to be less overt than in the past. A significant 47% of respondents felt that discrimination originates from individuals across the organisation, rather than isolated cases. Leadership was identified as a source of discriminatory attitudes by 33% of participants, with only 14% attributing such behaviours predominantly to younger male colleagues.

Looking ahead, the prospects for women in law appear dim. Just 16% believe they will achieve true equality in their careers, while 47% predict it may take another 50 years for meaningful change.

Dana Denis-Smith, founder of the Next 100 Years and CEO of Obelisk Support, remarked on the findings, saying "It is alarming to see so many women working in the legal profession are still exposed to discriminatory behaviour and that in many cases it appears to come from across the organisation, not just a few rogue individuals. Whilst it is good to see a majority of organisations taking this issue seriously, if women still feel speaking up could impact their career prospects, or suspect their organisation’s leadership to be complicit, we are a long way from seeing the change we need to help women thrive.

“There is clearly more to be done and I hope that initiatives such as the Harman review - an independent review of bullying and harassment at the Bar, which includes sexual harassment - will go some way to addressing the issues women in law contend with. Advocates for diversity and inclusion face some difficult headwinds given the Trump administration’s efforts to stymie US companies’ DEI initiatives and the knock on effect that has in the UK. The gains of recent decades have been hard won and the legal profession must redouble its commitment to equality in the workplace and foster a culture where sex discrimination is not tolerated and those who experience it are empowered to speak out.”