Only a fifth of global law firms are led by women, underscoring persistent gender inequality at the highest leadership level, according to a new report from nonprofit think tank Global 50/50.
The report – based on an analysis of 171 law and justice organisations worldwide – also showed that top roles across all organisations were typically held by nationals from high-income countries, with half of those coming from the UK and the US.
However, while women from middle-income countries were slightly better represented than men (8% compared to 5%), representation from BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) nations was nearly absent, with just 1% of top roles at law and justice organisations held by women from low-income countries.
Only 13% of global law firms have gender parity at senior levels, and just 5% have more women than men. Only 18% of organisations reported gender data to track progress.
María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, former president of the United Nations General Assembly, said: “It matters profoundly who holds power in the justice sector and how decisions are made. Institutions may aspire to neutrality, yet they are rooted in history and culture. When inequality exists within systems designed to deliver justice, their legitimacy and the trust they depend on are called into question.”
While top law firm roles were mostly held by men, women accounted for 40% of top offices across all justice organisations, with women accounting for more leaders than men at international NGOs (52%) and an equal split at funders and intergovernmental organisations (both 50%).
However, women held only 29% of top international court roles and 30% of global bar association positions. Among 17 presidents of 11 international bar associations, five were women – two from middle-income countries, and none from low-income countries.
The report also found that only 2% of 655 key roles across 22 international courts were held by women from low-income countries, while almost a third of the highest offices in the legal world were held by men from the US and the UK.
When it comes to power holders – those in senior roles but not the highest office – women accounted for 43% of positions overall, with women more likely to be power holders at funders (62%), international NGOs (53%) and bar associations (52%).
Only half of global law and justice organisations have made a public commitment to gender equality, although this varied significantly: 82% in intergovernmental organisations, 50% in courts, 45% in bar associations and just 26% in global law firms.
Women were more committed to law firms with inclusive cultures where they felt heard, while clients also valued diversity in the firms they instructed. Among law firms, workplace policies on gender equality existed mainly for staff, with equality at senior levels largely unaddressed – less than half (42%) had a gender equality policy for senior management.
Currently, only 18% of organisations track gender data, while most law firms (71%) lack policies for reporting sex-disaggregated data, and many others do not systematically collect or report it.
Mark Ellis, executive director of the IBA and member of Global 50/50’s Advisory Council, said: “Expanding women’s leadership across law and justice, from all regions of the world, supports better decision-making, fairer outcomes and public confidence. By combining leadership data with analysis of institutional policies, the report shines a light on both progress and remaining disparities, providing a constructive basis for collective action.”
Sara Carnegie, who leads the IBA’s work on gender equality, said: “The findings lay bare an uncomfortable truth: institutions tasked with upholding justice too often fail to be equitable within their own ranks, a reality that, as the data shows, is even more pronounced for women from low- and middle-income countries.”
Law Society president, Mark Evans, noted: “Women still face barriers to senior roles. The latest statistics from the Solicitors Regulation Authority show that despite 53% of lawyers being women, they were less well represented at senior levels, indicating persistent issues with retention and progression.”
Evans noted that only 32% of full-equity partners were women, adding that the society was committed to building a more inclusive profession. Dana Denis-Smith, the society’s deputy vice president and founder of the Next 100 Years women in law project, added that, while gender equality was improving, “we were still not seeing enough women at the highest levels of the profession. This is true in the UK and, as this report shows, at a global level”.
Matt Meyer, managing partner at Kingsley Napley, also a Global 50/50 Advisory Council member, said the case for action was “fundamental”.
He said: “Clients demand diversity in the firms and teams they use; inclusive workplaces were more successful at attracting and retaining the best talent; and gender equality in leadership drives wider priorities, greater innovation and better decisions. Transparency and better data [are] essential if the legal sector is serious about addressing gender inequality.”
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