It being Women’s month, we saw it fitting to center our dialogue around women, and in this instance, women in the legal profession. Last month we presented our “gender” edition, we hoped it would have created and raised awareness surrounding gender and the gap thereof. The previous month, we spoke of our exuberant bright and bold youth.
The above mentioned issues are linked, and all speak on the idea of working together to bring about an impactful change. Perhaps let us delve into the stats in South Africa, and around the world that speak of female representation in the legal profession now. According to a Times Live article,
Only nine out of South Africa’s 473 senior counsel – from whose ranks candidate judges are selected, are black women. Morever, only four of these are African. This is less than 1% of the total.
*Source:
One of the reasons for this shocking stat proposed in the article by Dumisa Ntsebeza (JSC spokesman by 2013) was that government was failing black female advocates, by not giving them enough work to harbour the experience requisite for a JSC candidate.
Another factor that brings about a shortage of female representation in the legal profession, according to constitutional law legal expert Pierre de Vos: for one to get ahead in the profession, one needs a sort of network. In South Africa that is “an old boys’ network”. He goes on to say that unless the structural support systems in the profession are addressed, the problem is less likely to go away. *Source:
However South Africa is not alone in this demographic – this is a global shortage.
Women are concentrated in lower paying, less prestigious employment
settings with few opportunities for promotion relative to men
(Abel 1985; Epstein 1983; Hagan 1990; Mossman 1990; Murray 1987; Podmore & Spencer 1982;
Sokoloff 1988)
*Source: Women in the legal profession: theory and research.
So how do we move forward and reduce the gap, having clearly outlined the problem and the possible factors leading to it? For one, women in higher positions should create networks with those who are up and coming.
Women need to foster better relations with one another thereby creating a network of sorts. But of course, we also cannot downplay the influence that government through its’ various programmes can bring into the reduction of the wide gap. And creating the dialogue and platform needed to raise these issues, the more awareness is drawn, the more solutions can come about to urgently redress this imbalance in the legal profession. Until then, we encourage all females in the profession to work harder and build networks for those coming behind you.
*It’s the women vs the State in the legal profession – Times Live 21 April 2013
*Dr Sharyn Roach Anleu Sociology Department. The Flinders University of SA
“In your hands the law must be our liberator as women, not an instrument of oppression.”
Minister Lindiwe Sisulu
