International Women’s Day is here to celebrate women across all walks of life and recognise their achievements, accomplishments and contributions to society.
International Women’s Day aims to empower women as well as demanding the need for inclusion and equality.
Although the world has come a long way since International Women’s Day first started in 1911, statistics show that there is still room for change. Gender disparity is happening every day, and figures from the World Economic Forum show that globally, gender parity won’t be attained for another 99 years.
At present, less than a third of the company board of directors in the UK are women, and less than half of countries have had a female head of state in the past 50 years.
But gender disparity is not only seen in adulthood, it stems from the early days of being a child and can be seen all the way up to when women are reaching pension age – and this needs to change.
According to UNESCO, gender disparities emerge in school, negatively impacting girls’ and women’s participation in the development of innovation and technology subjects.
Until recently, girls and boys were split in PE classes, which meant many were not given the chance to try out some sports such as football and rugby.
In some countries, girls still face significant barriers to their right to education, and many are even banned from attending classes or university. And in 2020, figures revealed that women still accounted for almost two-thirds of all adults unable to read.
In working-age women there is still a huge pay gap regarding how much they earn compared to their male counterparts, as four out of five employers still pay women less. But it doesn’t stop there, even when women finally retire, they are impacted by gender inequality.
A recent survey by the Department for Work and Pensions found that the gap in private pensions is currently 35%. This means that for every £100 a man has in pension savings, a woman will only have £65. As women tend to live longer than men, and their pension savings need to last longer, this is a real concern.
This year, the theme of International Women’s Day is to ‘inspire inclusion’. The campaign explains that ‘when we inspire others to understand and value women’s inclusion, we forge a better world.
‘And when women themselves are inspired to be included, there’s a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment.’
‘By empowering women, they feel seen and can demand change’.
Women in the Legal Industry
Women in the legal profession fought tirelessly for equality, as many barriers were in place to prevent them from practice.
Women’s education was not how it is today, and although women (albeit, very few) started going to university from 1869, it was not until 1878 that women would be awarded a degree for their education.
Meanwhile, women in law faced further barriers, as many were refused a licence to practice, despite graduating from university with a law degree.
Madge Easton Anderson
Madge Easton Anderson was the first female in the UK to become a professional lawyer in 1920, after graduating from Glasgow University.
However, she was initially refused a license to practice. After appealing to the Court of Session, her petition was heard and she was granted her licence.
By 1931, she had established her own practice and went on to form the first legal firm entirely run by women.
Ivy Williams
Ivy Williams became the first UK female to be admitted to the bar in 1922. But it wasn’t an easy journey to get there as she was prevented from qualifying for Oxford despite completing her law exams.
It wasn’t until the Sexual Discrimination Reform in 1919 that she could qualify. However, although she did not practice law, she became the first female to teach it at an English University.
Helena Normanton
Helena Normanton was the first female barrister in the UK. She recognised sexual discrimination in the industry from a young age and wanted all women to have access to the legal profession.
Helena was later appointed King’s Counsel at the Bar – the highest rank a senior barrister can rise to in British law.
International Women’s Day urges people to think about how to create an inclusive world for women:
“When women aren’t present, we must ask: “If not, why not?”
When women are discriminated against, we must call out poor practices.
When the treatment of women is not equitable, we must take action.
And we must do this each time, every time.”
Further reading
Workplace discrimination – Oakwood Solicitors
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Abbie Keech originally studied and completed a degree in Medical Microbiology at Newcastle University before converting to a law degree. She became Head of the Road Traffic Accident department at …
