New Zealand Law Gender Equality Report
The New Zealand Law Society’s 2023 Gender Equality Charter (GEC) survey reveals that women comprise over half the profession (55.4 percent) but their representation often stops at the boardroom door.
It is, as it is in many jurisdictions, a ‘room for improvement’ report.
The New Zealand Law Society report, which covered ‘eligible workplaces’ that signed the GEC charter, showed:
- Only 34 percent of equity partner positions are held by women
- 47 percent of salary partners are women
- 30 percent of directors are women
Progress in Gender Equality Initiatives
Many legal workplaces are taking steps to address gender inequality in the New Zealand law profession, the report says.
- 20 percent of GEC workplaces report achieving gender equality in senior roles – see the LawFuel ‘gender survey’ from 2023 for the top performing firms in this area).
- 14 percent indicate an increase in the proportion of women in senior positions
- 72 percent of GEC law firms conduct gender pay audits
- 70 percent of GEC workplaces report either no gender pay gap or that it’s not applicable
Additionally, firms are reviewing key policies through a gender equality lens:
- 26 percent are examining promotion policies
- 11 percent are reviewing recruitment practices
- 10 percent are assessing parental leave policies
Challenges and Areas for Improvement
Despite progress, challenges remain as they do in most jurisdictions. The ‘unconscious bias’ training delivery had dropped from 64 percent in 2021 to 54 percent.
And 21 percent of workplaces adopted the voluntary target of assigning at least 50 percent of significant matters to women lawyers
The Flexible Work UpTick
The adoption of flexible working arrangements has significantly increased among the GEC signatories. As of 2023, 98 percent of GEC workplaces offer flexible working options to all lawyers, a substantial increase from 85 percent in 2018.
The popular options
Remote work was the most popular flexible arrangement, used by 39 percent of male lawyers and 29 percent by female lawyers.
Adjusted working hours was more popular with female lawyers (30 percent) and just 13 per cent by males.
Flexible timeframes was used equally (22 percent for males and 21 percent for females) while options like job sharing was used by just 2 percent.
This data shows that while flexible working arrangements are widely available, there are notable differences in how male and female lawyers decide to use them.
Looking Ahead
To further improve gender equality in the legal profession, survey respondents suggested the Law Society could:
- Provide leadership, policy, and solutions (31 percent of respondents)
- Offer training and mentoring opportunities (28 percent)
- Share case studies and best practice examples (19 percent)
The Recruitment and Retention Issue
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Among the law firms surveyed the most common areas undergoing review were recruitment – at 77 percent – and retention and promotion at 73 percent. Training and development comes in at 61 percent.
Around a quarter of the GEC workplaces say they are improving their HR practices, particularly by adopting family-friendly practices and working on gender equality training.
Gender Equality Elsewhere
The gender equality issue continues to be front and centre for the law profession in other jurisdictions as women graduates contain to exceed male graduates and yet fail to obtain the senior positions.
In Australia a gender pay report in 2022 showed that 59 percent of full-time female solicitors earning under $150,000 compared to 48 percent of male solicitors. 55 percent of practicing lawyers in Australia are female.
In the United Kingdom 53 percent of practising lawyers are women with only 32 percent being full equity partners.
In the United States gender issues have also played a major role in the law profession as female lawyers continue to lag in senior status, despite efforts from many firms
