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Gender
Gender Action Plan
We have a Gender Action Plan in place that was developed based on feedback provided by people across the Firm and approved and commended by our Future Firm Group. A key element is to improve the representation of women in leadership roles, which is supported by our leadership target of 35% Female representation in our UK Partnership by 2024. As part of our Action Plan, we are also signatories of the Women in Law Pledge. The Pledge was created by The Law Society, in partnership with the Bar Council of England and Wales and the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) in June 2019, to bring gender equality to the forefront of the conversation.
Gender Network
Our Gender Network plays a significant role in several of the Firm’s initiatives and promotes DEI with a specific focus on gender through sharing information, raising awareness and celebrating key dates.
The Network provides a safe, supportive and empowering environment where colleagues from all backgrounds can share and discuss their experiences and matters around gender, both in the workplace and more widely. The Network equips and empowers allies from across the Firm to engage with and champion this agenda too.
Other initiatives
- A suite of reproductive health policies. We have enhanced and refreshed our family-friendly policies and provided flexibility, recognising that all families and circumstances are different
- In 2024, for International Women’s Day, we held our ‘Who inspires you?’ campaign for IWD, providing colleagues with the opportunity to share the names and stories of women who have significantly inspired, influenced and impacted them. From mothers to historical figures, politicians to pioneers in the music industry, this campaign sought to showcase and illustrate the integral role woman play in our personal and professional lives, as well as in society and throughout history more widely
- Run our Women in Leadership series, which aims to support the growth of women in leadership positions, both inside and outside the Firm, and build a welcoming and collaborative environment where everyone feels valued, recognising that we draw strength from our differences. Check out some highlights from our recent events here
- Refreshed our mentoring and reverse mentoring schemes to help foster an inclusive culture through opportunities for people to share different perspectives, lived experiences and knowledge
- Gender Neutral Drafting guidance to ensure we are mindful of gendered language, no assumptions are made about a person’s gender, gender identity or sexual orientation, and that gender stereotypes are not reinforced
- Corporate membership of WorkLife Central which provides resources on inclusion, wellbeing, careers and parenting and caring.