Female legal eagles see their wings clipped

Despite strides towards gender equality, South Africa continues to grapple with gender disparities that hinder the empowerment of women, especially in the legal sector.

As the world today celebrates International Women’s Day, several surveys underscored the need for action to dismantle barriers and foster a more inclusive environment for women.

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A groundbreaking survey examining gender diversity and inclusion in South Africa’s legal sector has unveiled stark disparities in senior leadership positions, particularly for women of colour.

Presented at an event hosted by the Cyrus Vance Centre for International Justice, in collaboration with the US Mission to South Africa, the survey sheds light on systemic barriers hindering the advancement of women within the legal profession.

“The concept of equality must be understood in a substantive, rather than in a formal sense,” US ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety said.

“Promoting substantive equality requires an acute awareness of the lived reality of people’s lives and an understanding of how the real-life conditions have reinforced vulnerability, disadvantage and harm.”

Although there was a surge in the number of women entering the legal field, the survey indicated a significant lag in their progression to leadership roles, compared to their male counterparts.

This gap is exacerbated for women of colour, who faced even greater challenges in ascending the ranks within the profession. Brigety stressed the commitment of the US Mission to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion.

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The Advancing Women in the Workplace mentorship programme, designed to support young women of colour reaching senior leadership positions within the legal profession, underscores this commitment to advancing historically disadvantaged groups.

Adaobi Egboka, Vance Centre Africa programme director, highlighted the resilience and talent of women in SA’s legal arena.

However, she also pointed out the persistent barriers hindering their advancement. “The survey’s findings reveal a concerning trend of diminishing representation of women, especially women of colour, in senior positions with in both attorneys’ and advocates’ professions,” she said.

“Contributing factors identified include entrenched maledominated networks, gender bias in client and colleague perceptions, unequal distribution of work assignments and challenges related to maternity leave.”