This week, over on Instagram, I used my platform to share the answers to questions I posed to aspiring female barristers. I asked them:
1. What is their main goal or aspiration?
2. What is their proudest achievement so far?
3. What does the word “woman” mean to them?
4. What does being successful in the profession mean to them as a woman?
5. What is a positive of having more women in the profession?
6. Name an improvement the profession can make to continue to retain women at the bar?
If you have not already, please check it out. I featured the most amazing, influential women I know, and they did not disappoint when sharing their thoughts to the above questions!
To end this Instagram ‘series’, I wanted to use this opportunity to share my own thoughts.
My main goal is to become a criminal and family barrister, to promote access to justice and be a positive role model for other aspiring barristers who are not from a ‘traditional’ background. Long term, I hope I can do the same whilst sitting as a Judge!
My proudest achievement so far is finding my self-confidence. I had loads of it, and then I seemed to have dropped the ball at university, but my proudest achievement is finding that self-confidence again. With that confidence, I have the ability to put my best foot forward and build a practice that I can be proud of.
The word woman, to me, connotes strength.
The strength to work harder than your male counterparts to prove your worth. Even though there is no good reason in having to work that bit harder. The strength to allow yourself to take up space in a room full of men even though you feel somewhat inferior. The strength to overcome female stereotypes that inhibit people’s perceptions of you as a leader, a boss or a professional. The strength to juggle family life and your role as a mother with your career. The strength to stay strong every time you hear another woman has been assaulted, killed, or sexually harassed by another man.
Women are still subject to misogynistic perceptions that are deep rooted in society. But women are strong enough to fulfil their dreams despite these negative perceptions of who they are and their abilities.
Being successful in the profession is important to me as a woman for three reasons:
Firstly, it is going to feel so great when I reach that glass ceiling and smash straight through it. Although this feeling is attributable to my class too.
Secondly, it is important to me to be able to be a positive role model for other aspiring female barristers. Personally, I never believed I could do this until I finally had a conversation with someone who was like me – working class and female. It was also very refreshing to speak to women in the profession who were juggling families, to know that it was possible to do both. The bottom line is that the more successful female barristers, the more aspiring female barristers.
Thirdly, it is important for the bar to be diverse. It should not be made up predominately of white men, as that is not representative of society. This is a broader problem that is not limited to women. A bigger issue is that the bar does not adequately represent BAME individuals who are disproportionately found before the Criminal Justice System. However, the point still stands, the bar needs to be more diverse and that includes having more women in the profession.
I know what you are thinking, “Angelina, there is almost an equal number of men and women at the bar now”. You would be correct but only at the junior end. There is still a massive problem with women not being retained in the profession, and subsequently a lack of female QC’s. It is just as essential to have female barristers being retained at the bar as it is to have them entering the profession.
The biggest issue with the retention of women at the bar is maternity. Being self-employed, female barristers are not entitled to maternity leave. When women leave for their unpaid maternity, sometimes there is not a practice to come back to.
This is a difficult issue that draws a lot of controversy. Many people have put forward a solution, in which members of Chamber’s all pay a sum of money which is withheld for the maternity leave of other members of Chamber's (which is similar to the process in which Chamber’s accumulate pupillage awards). However, this has seen some push back from members of the bar who do not think it is their duty to pay for another person’s maternity leave.
In my view, it seems that the bigger issue is a lack of awareness. Understandably people should not be made to pay a proportionate of their wages to something they disagree with. So, why don’t we help them to understand it’s importance?
Not all women at the bar can survive on just their partners pay packet, some may be single mothers, others may just not have enough savings behind them to survive without any work during their maternity leave. If people really understood the financial circumstances that women put themselves in when bringing life into this world – I would be truly shocked if many still disagreed with supporting maternity leave packages.
It is also important to encourage good working relationships with clerks. If you can come to an agreement that you will only work 3 days a week (unless a big trial came up and the clerk ran it by you first), there may be an opportunity for a woman to work during her pregnancy or shortly after giving birth. Subsequently reducing the length of time a woman is without work at all. This does come with its difficulties, and you may be stuck doing first appearances in the Mags for £50 per day, but at least some work is still coming in. However, this will only work where the bar becomes more accepting of barristers working part time.
There are, therefore, many issues to unpick with women at the bar and the retention of women at the bar. Sexual harassment of female barristers is a persistent issue at the bar. Similarly, gender bias within the allocation of work is a reoccurring issue within the profession. Some of these issues are sadly just an institutionalised version of wider societal issues. However, for the most part, the bar is inclusive of women and continues to become more diverse!
I am excited for the future of the bar. I am excited to one day stand (and eventually sit) in a court room where I all too often see a man. I am excited to see all my fellow, female aspiring barristers succeed in the profession.
Until next time,
The Woman on a Mission
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