EFWiL Briefing Note: The Future for Women in Law - Work, Rest and Progress
Wed 6 October 2021
On the 7 September 2021, the Edinburgh Foundation for Women in Law hosted a facilitated discussion on ‘The Future for Women in Law: Work, Rest and Progress’ as a follow-up to the Foundation’s ‘Living and working in the time of COVID-19’ listening event in April 2021. The April event looked towards the future for women in the legal profession in Scotland, and this further event allowed us to explore whether our current methods are fit for purpose and sustainable for women.
For the September 2021 event, Naeema Sajid, Founder of Diversity+, moderated a discussion on what works and what needs to change in the legal profession to capture and retain female talent with a panel of industry leaders in the legal field, including Amanda Miller (Past President of the Law Society of Scotland), Yvonne Brady (Morton Fraser LLP), Rupa Mooker (MacRoberts LLP) and Fiona Eadie (Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service).
The panel discussed the themes of work, rest and progress under which a series of actions have been developed for the legal profession.
Key action points
Work: Share good practice widely, avoid reverting back to “business as usual,” and adopt a gender neutral language policy.
Rest: Women need to be able to acknowledge when they are not okay and workplaces should present accessible role models to encourage a healthy work/life balance.
Progress: Workplaces should consider the mentoring and network support that is available to women and consider how their business structures inherently inhibit female progression.
About the Edinburgh Foundation for Women in Law
The Edinburgh Foundation for Women in Law wants to help anyone who identifies as a woman working in law reach their full potential by breaking down barriers to progression. We aim to facilitate the vital conversations about equality and diversity necessary to achieve cultural and structural change.