Articles
A range of links to articles and events of interest.
2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003
2007
Boom times fuel shift to more women leaders: Western Australia's boom has begun shattering the glass ceiling for women seeking senior positions, as the state's chronic labour shortage fuels a shift in employment trends. Read more at: theaustralian.news.com.au (19 December 2007)
Hall of Fame: The great and the good (L to Z): As part of The Lawyer's 20th anniversary celebrations, here's the second instalment of the legal profession's Hall of Fame. Read more at: thelawyer.com.au (17 December 2007)
Tackling the system's inequities: If you are a high-performing female senior associate working in a hot area of law but sick of being overlooked for partnership, now is the time to make your demands, or make your move. Read more at: theaustralian.news.com.au (14 December 2007)
Acting PM Gillard won't sit in Rudd's seat: Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard may be making political history today, but the first woman to lead the country since federation says it will be 'business as usual'. Read more at: theage.com.au (11 December 2007)
Hall of Fame: The great and the good (A to K): As part of The Lawyer's 20th anniversary celebrations, we're launching the legal profession's Hall of Fame. This is the first instalment: it continues next week. Read more at: thelawyer.com.au (10 December 2007)
Survival of the fittest: Is the white, male lawyer a dying breed? Law firms can be proactive in supporting minority groups and still employ according to merit, says Monica Burch. Read more at: thelawyer.com.au (10 December 2007)
Gender agenda for Broderick: Gender is on the agenda at the nations' top law firms, but new federal sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick hopes that it won't even be an issue at the end of her five-year term. If she has her way, a more flexible workplace will bring benefits for both male and female lawyers. Read more at: lawyersweekly.com.au (6 December 2007)
Association of Women Solicitors slams inflexible profession: The Association of Women Solicitors (AWS) has spoken out against the high attrition rates among female lawyers, identifying inadequate childcare and inflexible working arrangements as the major causes. Read more at: thelawyer.com.au (4 December 2007)
Only two women silk beat gossip bar: Just two women barristers have been elevated to senior counsel in Victoria after a gossip campaign at the Bar accused other female candidates of spending too much time on their families. Read more at: theaustralian.news.com.au (29 November 2007)
Your man in China should be a woman: Wendy Simpson believes the best man for the job may be a woman when it comes to Australian companies wanting to do business in China. Read more at: theaustralian.news.com.au (12 November 2007)
Training pays off as champion businesswoman beats 24 contenders: Women have come to the fore with a new award to find the champion of champions in small businesses, covering 24 categories. Read more at: theaustralian.news.com.au (8 November 2007)
Still bridging the gender gap: The Honourable Justice Jane Mathews AO last week gave a statement which suggested that while women have a great contribution to make to the law, inequality between the sexes continues to hinder female legal professionals. Read more at: lawyersweekly.com.au (2 November 2007)
Most firms fail the women's needs test: Despite years of effort, leading Australian law firms are falling well short of the minimum benchmarks needed to keep women in the profession. Read more at: theaustralian.news.com.au (2 November 2007)
Women missing out on jobs boom: The jobs boom is passing women by, with the number of women out of work actually increasing over the past year by 1.6 per cent. Read more at: theaustralian.news.com.au (19 October 2007)
Male-oriented business model 'failing women': The traditional business model of the big law firms has failed women lawyers and is costing millions of dollars in avoidable expenses, according to Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick. Read more at: theaustralian.news.com.au (19 October 2007)
Props weaken as glass ceiling starts to crack: Women are starting to reverse the traditional gender imbalance in management. Read more at: theaustralian.news.com.au (11 October 2007)
Women and the Labyrinth of Leadership: When you put all the pieces together, a new picture emerges for why women don't make it into the C-suite. It's not the glass ceiling, but the sum of many obstacles along the way. Read more at: harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu (September 2007)
Flexible future?: In the cut-throat world of talent retention, flexible working is becoming a must, but can this newer way of working win the hearts and minds of those long-hours stalwarts? Read more at thelawyer.com (10 September 2007)
Women up against 'concrete ceiling' in legal careers: Women are hitting a "concrete ceiling" in their legal careers and urgent action is needed to redress the gender imbalance at senior levels of the judiciary, says Auckland barrister Deborah Hollings QC. Read more at:stuff.co.nz (31 August 2007)
The part-time paradox: Working women find new ways to keep their careers on track while juggling jobs and family. Read more at: smh.com.au (23 August 2007)
Not even scratching glass ceiling: Westpac announces St George chief executive officer Gail Kelly as its next CEO. Read more at: theaustralian.news.com.au (22 August 2007)
Women miss out on foreign postings: Human resources companies with international offices are far more likely to send men to overseas postings than women, a postgraduate student has found in her doctoral thesis. Source: theaustralian.news.com.au (15 August 2007)
Ruddock names new High Court judge: Australia's newest High Court judge will be Susan Kiefel - a lawyer from Cairns who left school at 15. Justice Kiefel, 53, becomes only the third woman to ever sit on the highest court in the land. Read more at: smh.com.au (13 August 2007)
Long way to the Lodge: India did it in 1966. Britain did it in 1979. New Zealand did it in 1997, but Australia never has. It is perhaps the biggest disconnect between our egalitarian self-image of a fair go for all and a more discriminatory reality. One hundred and five years after Australia became the first country in the world to simultaneously give women the right to vote and the right to stand for elections, we have never had a female prime minister or even leader of the Opposition. Read more at: theaustralian.news.com.au (13 August 2007)
Glass ceiling not an issue: Running a business presents many challenges, and being a woman can add another dimension to those challenges. The main problem is not necessarily the glass ceiling -- the invisible barrier that some believe prevents women from climbing to the top of the corporate ladder. Read more at: theaustralian.news.com.au (27 July 2007)
Focused women set a fast pace: Women are finding small business a very satisfying place to get their working adrenalin rush, with one-third of small business owners coming from the fairer sex. Read more at theaustralian.news.com.au (27 July 2007)
Women lawyers welcome men: Male lawyers and law students are now being invited to join the Women Lawyers' Association of New South Wales for the first time since the organisation began in 1952. Read more at: lawyersweekly.com.au (20 July 2007)
It's About Time: Women, men, work and family: In a speech given to the Women and Work Research Group, University of Sydney, The Hon John von Doussa QC President, Acting Sex Discrimination Commissioner and Commissioner responsible for Age Discrimination disusses the paper It's About Time: Women, men, work and family, which is the result of two years' research, investigation and national discussions with employers, community organisations and Australian families about paid work and family life. Read more at: hreoc.gov.au (7 June 2007)
Why working on family matters: The work-life balance is seeping into the mainstream political debate, writes national affairs editor Mike Steketee. Read more at theaustralian.news.com.au (10 March 2007)
Compass: Women of power and influence: Geraldine Doogue continues her inquiry into how the beliefs and values of Australia's women are changing by inviting five wealthy and/or influential women to dinner. Read more at: abc.net.au (25 February 2007)
Recognition for women lawyers: The peak body representing women lawyers in New South Wales is launching new achievement awards that it says will help nurture the advancement of the fairer sex in the profession and help celebrate individual excellence. Read more at: lawyersweekly.com.au (22 February 2007)
Face of workforce set to change: In the face of a number of converging critical issues for Australian businesses, the need for workplace change will present women with opportunities to redefine their career lives. Read more at: lawyersweekly.com.au (2 February 2007)
2006
Women hold the keys to their success: Whatever her age or status in a law firm or corporation, a woman can benefit her career by thinking and acting strategically both inside and outside the office. law.com (25 October 2006) Please note that you may need to sign in to read this article - registration is free.
Babies still put a bump in women's career paths: An Australian Bureau of Statistics survey has found that only a third of new mothers use paid maternity leave, although just under half manage to take paid leave in some form to cover the birth of a baby, using either regular holidays or sick leave. Read more at: theage.com.au (24 October 2006) and Pregnancy and Employment Transitions Survey (23 October 2006)
'Cheat sheet' helps women, moms pick friendly firms: For any law students who have been stumped about how to select a women-friendly employer, now there is a cheat sheet. law.com (20 October 2006) Please note that you may need to sign in to read this article - registration is free.
Coonan first woman to lead government in Senate: Today was the first occasion a woman had led the Senate since the Australian parliament first sat in Melbourne in 1901. theage.com.au (9 October 2006)
Out of step: Companies fail to make the most of talented female managers, even when women follow in the footsteps of their male counterparts. Little has changed in 30 years newsstore.fairfax.com.au (article available to purchase) (2 September 2006)
Government Lawyers - CLE Conference & Dinner: Address given by Pru Goward. Source: hreoc.gov.au(12 September 2006)
NZ: Attracting staff child's play for Westpac boss: Westpac boss Ann Sherry sees on-site childcare as a way of attracting and retaining valuable staff. Source: www.stuff.co.nz (03 September 2006)
UK: The law unto themselves: The face of Scottish law is changing, with women becoming not merely equals, but dominant. This year, according to the Law Society of Scotland, 65% of the entrants to law courses at universities north of the Border are female, the highest ever proportion. Read more at: news.scotsman.com (26 August 2006)
USA: Judge could alter war on terror: Anna Diggs Taylor never planned to become a federal judge nor did she intend to become the first black woman to serve as chief judge of the U.S. District Court in eastern Michigan. But opportunity knocked. Any day now, she's expected to rule on the American Civil Liberties Union's request to strike down the Bush administration's controversial domestic spying program. Read more at: freep.com (7 August 2006)
UK: More women QCs? That's great news: It is good news that more women than ever before have successfully applied for QC status. In the first year of an independent system, 68 women, more than ever, applied to be QCs, with 33 succeeding. Source: timesonline.typepad.com (20 July 2006)
Bendable or Expendable - landmark study into work flexibility: In July 2006, the Law Institute of Victoria and Victorian Women Lawyers released a report looking at the practices and attitudes towards work flexibility in Victoria's biggest legal employers. The report contains findings on women's representation in partnership, work practices and the use of flexible work arrangements. Read more at: vwl.asn.au (PDF 683KB) (July 2006)
Advancing Women: Address to the Women Lawyers' Association of NSW: In a speech given to the Women Lawyers Association of NSW, Senator Helen Coonan argues that women in law, in all their diversity, are becoming increasingly influential. Source: minister.dcita.gov.au (27 June 2006)
ALB/Axxia roundtable: Facing up to the future: ALB invited five partners to attend a roundtable discussion to look at the future of law firms. The focus was on two subjects: what the increasing number of women entering the profession will mean for firms, and the impact of Generation Y on legal businesses. (7 June 2006)
Work Life Balance: Address given by Pru Goward, Sex Discrimination Commissioner and Commissioner responsible for Age Discrimination at the Australian Iinstitute of Manangement Breakfast Briefing. Source: hreoc.gov.au (11 May 2006)
Women in-house: There's still a long way to go, but women have come a long way in the legal profession and are particularly excelling at in-house roles. Kellie Harpley reports. Read more at lawyersweekly.com.au (1 May 2006)
Rebuilding a nation: She was the first woman in Australia to be made a QC, the first female Supreme Court Judge, female university chancellor and female Governor. On International Women's Day this month, Her Excellency Kirsty Sword Gusmão, First Lady of Timor-Leste spoke at a memorial service for Dame Roma Mitchell. Read an edited version of this speech at lawyersweekly.com.au (3 April 2006)
Freshfields to kick off female buddy scheme: UK firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is set to roll out a radical mentoring scheme for its female associates in a bid to bolster the number of female partners at the firm. Read more at thelawyer.com (22 March 2006)
Are women happy under the glass ceiling?: A new study adds fuel to the fire. About 70% of women and 57% of men believe an invisible barrier--a glass ceiling--prevents women from getting ahead in business, according to a study of 1,200 executives in eight countries, including the U.S., Australia, Austria and the Philippines. Hannah Clark reports. Read more at forbes.com (10 March 2006)
Work Life balance: Where to from here?: Pru Goward, Sex Discrimination Commissioner and Commissioner responsible for Age Discrimination, addresses Victoria University on International Women's Day. Source: hreoc.gov.au (8 March 2006)
After the Barbecue. Perspectives on work-life balance in Australia: An address by Pru Goward, Sex Discrimination Commissioner to the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection Work Life Balance Conference. Source: hreoc.gov.au (22 February 2006)
List of female friendly firms is growing: A registered club where women can work split shifts to fit in with caring responsibilities is among organisations officially dubbed "female friendly", as is Allens Arthur Robinson (see press release). AAP reports. Read more at news.ninemsn.com.au (21 February 2006)
Mums choosing to work: The traditional role of the stay-at-home mum has been overtaken by women wanting to work - and the optimum number of hours is between 15 and 34 hours per week. Nicolette Burke reports. Read more at news.com.au (15 February 2006)
Female slate win French Bar vote: Freshfields' partner Pascale Lagesse has been elected to the French Bar Council following the creation of the first ever women-only slate for the poll. Antony Collins reports. Read more at ;egalweek.com (19 January 2006)
Women on board for ceiling breakthrough: The 500 companies listed on Norway's stock exchange face being shut down unless they install women on their boards over the next two years in a radical initiative imposed by a government determined to help women break through the "glass ceiling". Gwladys Fouche reports in Oslo for the Guardian. Read more at smh.com.au (10 January 2006)
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2005
High Court bench no longer all male – just: The impending retirement of High Court Justice Michael McHugh raised the question not only of who would replace him, but more specifically, would the new appointment to the bench be a woman. Calls from a wide range of quarters for a female judge – including from sitting High Court Justices – were met in September with the appointment to the bench of Federal Court Justice Susan Crennan. Read more at lawyersweekly.com.au (16 December 2005)
Legal profession challenged to address women's needs: The legal profession is being warned that it will have to change to accommodate the growing number of women practicing law. Read more at abc.net.au (29 November 2005)
Onward and upward: Only last week saw the 100th anniversary of the Queensland Legal Practitioners Act 1905, which allowed women to practise law for the first time. The State's Law Society President Rob Davis discussed the impact of this change at the time in a speech in Brisbane's Banco Court. Read more at lawyersweekly.com.au (18 November 2005)
Workplace reform - why women won't be winners:
The overhaul of Australia's workplace is set to create winners and losers. Leon Gettler reports.
Read more at
theage.com.au (9 November 2005)
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Loss of female workers costs billions: Australian employers need to lift their game, and fast, if they want to retain their valuable female workers, a social commentator has warned. Melinda Finch reports. Read more at lawyersweekly.com.au (24 October 2005)
Sole women in NSW silk appointments: Only one of the 17 new senior counsel announced by the NSW Bar Association is a woman, it has been revealed. Kate Gibbs reports. Read more at lawyersweekly.com.au (7 October 2005)
One law for men, another for women: That the appointment of women to high legal office is still seen as peculiar reflects poorly on the community as a whole. Read more at: theage.com.au (25 September 2005)
Woman 'of merit' joins High Court: A black-letter lawyer with close links to the Solicitor-General has been elevated to the nation's highest court, becoming only the second woman appointed to the role in its 102-year history. Elizabeth Colman and Natasha Robinson report. Source: theaustralian.news.com.au (21 September 2005)
Men seek kudos, women flexibility:
Women want flexibility and men want kudos when it comes to selecting a university or degree, a national survey of postgraduate expectations has shown. Kelly Burke reports.
Read more at
smh.com.au (12 September 2005)
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It takes two: Job sharing keeps women in the workforce, and employers ahead of the market, says director of JobShare Australia, Vilma Faoro. Read more at lawyersweekly.com.au (29 August 2005)
China outlaws sexual harassment: China has outlawed sexual harassment and made domestic violence a crime in a bid to boost legal protection for women, state media says. Report from Agence France-Presse. Read more at news.com.au (28 August 2005)
Law a harbourer of privilege: Hulls: The judiciary should be a career path in which women can balance their work and home life without having to qualify as contortionists, the Victorian Attorney-General told the profession last week. Kate Gibbs reports. Read more at lawyersweekly.com.au (15 August 2005)
PM refuses to guarantee new parent leave: Millions of Australian workers have won the right to ask for extra parental leave, but the victory could be short-lived with the Howard government refusing to guarantee the leave provisions will be enshrined in its new workplace laws. AAP reports. Read more at news.ninemsn.com.au (9 August 2005)
Women lose under govt changes: NSW: The Federal Government is implementing changes that unfairly impact upon women, the peak body representing women lawyers in New South Wales said this month. Read more at lawyersweekly.com.au (29 July 2005)
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Leaders are made, not born: A series of forums sweeping their way across the eastern seaboard address the workplace issues affecting women's lives. Kate Gibbs reports. Read more at lawyersweekly.com.au (29 July 2005)
Women boost firms' start-up rate: Levels of people launching their own business in Wales has doubled over the past five years, according to a report - and part of the success is down to a steady number of new firms run by women. Read more at news.bbc.co.uk (15 July 2005)
2015: More women, earning less: By 2015, women will make up more than half the legal profession in New South Wales, while their male counterparts will be raking in higher incomes, a report by the state's law society has revealed. Kate Gibbs reports. Read more at lawyersweekly.com.au (1 July 2005)
Female GCs: Short-term gains, long-term hope: Financial services firms offer women the best shot at heading a large in-house legal department, according to Corporate Counsel's 2005 survey of Fortune 500 companies. Corporate Counsel Sue Reisinger reports. Read more at law.com (22 June 2005)
Australia among top 10 for closing gender gap: Australia ranks among the top 10 countries for closing the gender gap between men and women, a new international study shows. Read more at theage.com.au (16 May 2005)
Mothers struggle to juggle career and family: There are pitfalls and prejudices for parents in part-time jobs, reports Julie Szego for The Age. Read more at theage.com.au (14 May 2005)
Women courted as partners: There is an increasing feminisation of the legal profession, writes The Australian's legal affairs editor Chris Merritt. Source: theaustralian.news.com.au (12 May 2005)
Pressure is on for flexibility: The looming skills crisis as well as the changing nature of the profession will add to the pressures felt by firms trying to retain their lawyers. This may just be the impetus needed to get what many women in law have been demanding for years – flexible work practices. Read more at lawyersweekly.com.au (6 May 2005)
Diversity merited in High Court: In just under six months, Justice Michael McHugh turns 70 and leaves the High Court, with speculation under way about who the Government will appoint to fill his place. Last November, McHugh argued strongly that the Government should appoint a woman. He was right to do so. Read more at smh.com.au (2 May 2005)
Women set to shift the balance of power in business: The UK has one of the lowest proportions of entrepreneurial women in the developed world, despite the significant social and cultural changes of the past three decades. Source: business.timesonline.co.uk (28 April 2005)
Business tool to remedy pay gap: A national governmental body that campaigns for equal opportunities for women at work has teamed up with experts to develop a tool to help businesses audit and analyse pay distribution by gender, provide equal treatment of staff and avoid legal action. Read more at lawyersweekly.com.au (8 April 2005)
Undervaluing of women 'major obstacle to workplace equality': The persistent undervaluing of women in the workplace was a 'major obstacle' to equality between men and women, a committee of MPs warned today. Source: news.scotsman.com (7 April 2005)
Govt to shut firms with too few women: Norway will shut companies that refuse to recruit at least 40 per cent women to their boards by 2007 under an unprecedented equality drive, a cabinet minister said. Source: news.com.au (6 April 2005)
How to get your women back: Businesses need women and women want to work. So what's the problem? Read more at thelawyer.com (4 April 2005)
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Sexual equality and ethnic diversity firmly on the agenda: Sex equality and ethnic diversity may still be passing by the leading City law firms, but they are raising significant interest in the Scottish profession. Source: theherald.co.uk (4 April 2005)
Equality not just about gender: Chief Justice: Achieving equality of opportunity within the legal profession is not only a matter of addressing gender issues, a top judge told last week's LawAsiadownunder2005 conference. Read more at lawyersweekly.com.au (1 April 2005)
Partner status still eludes women, ethnic minorities: Revealed: massive dropout rate from trainee to partner level; management boards still white and male. Read more at thelawyer.com (29 March 2005)
Elias - top judge and judicial activist: As a young woman in the 1960s, Sian Elias was determined not to be ordinary or, as one friend recalls her saying, not to be 'an Austin 1100, suburban housewife'. And she got her wish. She has had an eventful legal career, capped by her appointment as New Zealand's first woman Chief Justice. Read more at nzherald.co.nz (28 March 2005)
Time to step up corporate game: Even the most career minded Australian women still face a struggle in getting to the top rungs of the professional ladder, an international workplace survey has revealed. But, if corporate Australia makes an effort now to stem the exodus of women from their companies, it just may be able to save the day. Read more at lawyersweekly.com.au (11 March 2005)
Women still face many job hurdles: Discrimination against women in the UK is 'deeply ingrained', a UK government report has concluded. Read more at news.bbc.co.uk (8 March 2005)
Nations slammed for women discrimination: A new UN report strongly criticises countries around the world - from Japan, Kuwait and Nigeria to Britain and Chile - for failing to meet their pledge to revoke laws that discriminate against women by 2005. Read more at smh.com.au (3 March 2005)
Firms need a more feminine lawyering style: The President of Harvard University, Lawrence Summers, recently sparked debate when he raised the question of whether biological differences could, in part, account for the under-representation of women in top academic positions in the sciences. Read more at nylawyer.com (2 March 2005)
New award will honour UK women high-flyers: A new annual award is to be launched to recognise businesswomen who are breaking new ground in British corporate life. Read more at business.scotsman.com (14 February 2005)
Flexibly does it: It's not all bad, it seems. Women in Law uncovers the experiences of two women in the law who have made it to the top of their lot, despite the added burden of children to care for. Read more at lawyersweekly.com.au (11 February 2005)
Inequality begins in the home: The national debate over how to balance work and family in 21st-century Australia has become the new barbecue stopper. This national conversation is long overdue, says Pru Goward. Source: theaustralian.news.com.au (11 February 2005)
Baby on board: Having in recent months taken on two new roles – as mothers and partners – Henry Davis York's Vanessa Andersen and Deacons' Sally Macindoe each spoke to Kate Gibbs about what it takes to balance two of the world's most demanding jobs. Read more at lawyersweekly.com.au (11 February 2005)
Partners deny women lawyers and minorities are obstructed: UK senior lawyers deny that race or sex is a barrier to success but admit that discrimination cases are likely to rise. Source: legalweek.com (3 February 2005)
Tasmania's first female Supreme Court judge: Hobart magistrate Shan Tennent has become Tasmania's first female Supreme Court judge. Source: ta.harrisgroup.com.au (1 February 2005)
Female governor, two senators mean women rule in Washington state: Never before has a US state had a woman in the governor's mansion and both US Senate seats. Also, all of the state Senate's leadership positions are held by women. Read more at seattletimes.nwsource.com (30 January 2005)
Harvard president recants on women: The president of Harvard University, Lawrence Summers, has released a lengthy written apology, admitting he was wrong to suggest women do not have the same natural ability in maths and sciences as men. Read more at smh.com.au (22 January 2005)
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2004
Child-care boost not what it seems: Any relief from child-care costs is good news. Supporting working parents is not only in the interests of families, but the community. That said, the Howard Government's new child-care rebate, worth up to $4000 a child a year, is not quite the Christmas gift the fancy packaging suggests. Read more at smh.com.au (23 December 2004)
High-flying women to get helping hand from Labour: UK Government and trade unions will make a concerted push in 2005 to help women break through the glass ceiling and into the boardrooms of Britain's biggest companies. Read more at telegraph.co.uk (23 December 2004)
Women to take lion's share of legal profession jobs by 2015: Women will outnumber men in the legal profession as it grows by 40 per cent, firms get bigger and the average salary rises to $122,000. Read more at smh.com.au (16 December 2004)
Female lawyers still face struggle in workplace: Despite lip service paid to flexible hours and job-sharing, equity-related job benefits at law firms have fallen. Read more at theglobeandmail.com (13 December 2004)
Report finds more women appointed to boards: Women made up twice the proportion of appointments to company boards in 2004 than they did two years ago, but are still underrepresented in corporate Britain, according to recent research. Source: forbes.com (7 December 2004)
Sexist attitudes still a problem in Commons: A survey of women MPs has revealed the old-fashioned sexist attitudes they still have to put up with in Westminster. Read more at news.scotsman.com (7 December 2004)
Mothers a floating workforce: The rate of job creation is overwhelmingly driven by women opting in and out of the workforce, research by the Parliamentary Library in Canberra has found. Read more at smh.com.au (6 December 2004)
Shame at the top: old boys' network keeps women out of the boardroom: An old boys' network still controls the nation's top 500 publicly listed companies, with women holding just 5.7 per of board positions, a conference has been told. Read more at smh.com.au (1 December 2004)
Top law firms sign up to diversity: Twenty-four of London's leading law firms and barristers' chambers are signing up to the Global Graduates Diversity in Law 'Statement of Intent' highlighting their commitment to improving workplace diversity and ensuring the broadest possible range of perspectives, experiences and backgrounds are represented in their firms. Read more at onrec.com (30 November 2004)
Creating a fairer deal for working women: The Sex Discrimination Commissioner has drawn attention to an important anomaly. Read more at theage.com.au (16 November 2004)
Women with attitude beat boys for the jobs: The boom in female jobs will persist, say recruitment experts, who suggest a combination of social and economic factors could see the trend continue for some time. Read more at smh.com.au (13 November 2004)
Boys' club tips the scales of justice: When a High Court judge blows the whistle on the boy's club that is the legal profession, it's hard to ignore. After saying discrimination against women had been rife during his 43-year career, Justice Michael McHugh was getting no argument from women lawyers yesterday. Read more at smh.com.au (11 November 2004)
Women in law: Speech presented by Sheryl J. Willert, given at the Women in Law dinner on 10 November, 2004. Read more here. (pdf) (10 November 2004)
Women litigants and advocates in insurance law: Speech presented by the Hon. Marilyn Warren, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria, given at the Women in Law dinner on 10 November, 2004. Read more here. (pdf) (10 November 2004)
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Gender not a factor in post: Ruddock: The next judges appointed to the High Court will be chosen for their intellect and ability, not their gender, Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said on Wednesday. Read more at theage.com.au (10 November 2004)
Women on top: Several years ago everyone was hailing a new generation of female law firm leaders. A whole host of smaller to midsize firms were electing women to management. Read more at thelawyer.com (8 November 2004)
Australian firms lead the way on equal opportunities: Australian law firms have a higher ratio of women in senior positions than many of the country's leading corporations. Read more at thelawyer.com (1 November 2004)
Getting women into male-dominated jobs won't solve it: When Patricia Hewitt demanded an end to "career sexism", after new figures revealed that a shameful pay gap of 19.5% exists between men's and women's earnings, I felt my heart sinking. Read more at scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com (31 October 2004)
Now everyone can focus on women: All federal policy initiatives need to be measured against gender issues, writes Pru Goward. Read more at theage.com.au (30 October 2004)
NAB appoints new Europe boss: Lynne Peacock, one of the longest-standing and closest colleagues of National Australia Bank chief John Stewart, is the new chief executive of the bank's ailing European operations. Read more at theage.com.au (29 October 2004)
Gearing down: Why young women are turning their backs on fabulous earnings and a smart, corporate suit for a lifestyle change. Read more at theage.com.au (26 October 2004)
A record six women to manage departments: A record number of women will head federal departments as a result of the public service shake-up announced by the Prime Minister. Read more at smh.com.au (23 October 2004)
Top businesswoman named: The founder of Boost Juice Bars Janine Allis named Telstra businesswoman of the year. Source: theaustralian.news.com.au (23 October 2004)
Corporate sector worse than legal: Law firms have more women in senior positions than their counterparts in many of the largest ASX-listed companies, a survey has revealed. Read more at lawyersweekly.com.au (15 October 2004)
Where are all the women judges?: Women and ethnic minorities are noticeable by their absence from the ranks of the UK's top judges. Read more at news.bbc.co.uk (15 October 2004)
How to rip through the 'silk ceiling': Justice has been blind in more ways that one for women who are denied equal opportunities at the bar, statistics have revealed. Women are finding it difficult to tear through a silk ceiling that has for so long kept them from generating the high fees of men. Read more at lawyersweekly.com.au (15 October 2004)
Fighting for the right to decide: Making sure women are well represented at the Bar and on the Bench is one of the best ways to ensure judicial interpretation reflects social attitudes. Read more at lawyersweekly.com.au (15 October 2004)
It's a long way to the top with no Y chromosome: Having more women partners in professional services takes time and effort. Read more at theage.com.au (22 September 2004)
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Law schools: still a tough market for women: Why female law faculty members' ranks lag behind male counterparts'. Read more at law.com (20 September 2004)
Women work around glass ceiling: In the 1980s and 1990s when there were still almost no women at the top in big business, someone coined the phrase "the glass ceiling" to describe the plight of ambitious women held back because of their gender. But is it right to assume that sexism in business is now a dead issue? A conference of powerful businessmen and women held in Sydney this week has heard that there is a still a long way to go. Read more at abc.net.au (18 September 2004)
Live a life beyond management, Greer advises women: Feminist Germaine Greer's advice to female managers is a far cry from the usual corporate self-help slogans. Read more at theage.com.au (18 September 2004)
Do women hold the key to the future?: The increasing presence of women in law firms is having a positive influence on the legal workplace, but overcoming negative views towards part-time work is still a challenge. Read more at lawyersweekly.com.au (17 September 2004)
Work-life balances the books: The representation of women in senior positions in Australian law firms remains very low, but there are signs of change as firms begin to realise it can pay to be more flexible. Read more at lawyersweekly.com.au (17 September 2004)
No more a novelty element: Review of Media Tarts: How the Australian press frames female politicians by Julia Baird. Read more at theage.com.au (11 September 2004)
Women looking over glass cliffs: Women are being "parachuted" into precarious positions within companies where there is a high risk of failure, according to a psychologist. Read more at news.bbc.co.uk (6 September 2004)
All rise for Marilyn Warren: The new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is the first woman to hold the position. And getting there was far from easy. Read more at theage.com.au (5 September 2004)
Courting influential women: Will the appointment of two female judges to Canada's highest court usher in a new era of gender equality? Read more at guardian.co.uk (31 August 2004)
Female students hear tales from the firms: The University of NSW has launched a women's mentoring program after acknowledging women were entering law firms with insufficient understanding of a hidden glass ceiling that still exists in many firms. Read more at lawyersweekly.com.au>> (20 August 2004)
Blair kick starts gender pay reforms: A new women and work commission in the UK will look at ways to narrow the pay gap between men and women, Prime Minister Tony Blair has told Labour's National Policy Forum. Read more at lawyersweekly.com.au>> (20 August 2004)
Superior opportunities: It's been said that bosses tend to hire and promote people who remind them of themselves. Kelly Jones, chief information officer for Deutsche Bank in Australia and New Zealand, doesn't have the pretensions of, say, US mogul and The Apprentice star Donald Trump, but she would like to hire more women just like her. Read more at theage.com.au>> (10 August 2004)
Pope's letter stirs debate on role of women: Feminists attacked a new call from Pope John Paul II for the Catholic Church to reinforce the role of women as mothers and homemakers ahead of paid workers. Read more at theage.com.au>> (1 August 2004)
Sexism - are women cashing in?: A series of victories for women in high-profile sex-discrimination cases will have made sad reading for the likes of Godfrey Bloom. Here two champions of women's rights attack and defend the new claim culture. Source: news.independent.co.uk (25 July 2004)
Focus on the feminine strikes a chord: Labor's women's policy scored attention, but will it help at poll time, asks Meaghan Shaw. Read more at theage.com.au>> (24 July 2004)
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Women to women: The market for women's legal issues is growing, and firms are taking notice. Read more at law.com>> (20 July 2004)
Growing profession still male-biased: Men are still being promoted faster than women in the solicitors' profession — despite the fact that the majority of young solicitors are female. Source: legalweek.net (15 July 2004)
Little room for women on Wall Street: The statistics don't lie: here white men run the show, reports Patrick McGeehan. Read more at smh.com.au>> (15 July 2004)
Out of view: The battle for equality now focuses on the three P's: pay, promotion and pregnancy. Read more at smh.com.au>> (3 July 2004)
Deacons appoints first female senior partner: The partners of Deacons in Hong Kong have elected Lilian Chiang as the firm's new senior partner. (1 July 2004)
Tearing up the rule book: Britain's judiciary is still overwhelmingly white, male and middle class. Now the Crown Prosecution Service has devised a novel way to change all that. Source: news.independent.co.uk (27 June 2004)
Legal pioneer to head Family Court: The legal profession has welcomed the appointment of Diana Bryant, the first head of the Federal Magistrates Court, to possibly the most contentious court in Australia. Read more at theage.com.au>> (25 June 2004)
1.6m women to sue Wal-Mart: The US's biggest sex discrimination case will proceed against retail giant Wal-Mart, in a class action covering about 1.6million women claiming they were paid less and given fewer promotions than men. theadvertiser.news.com.au (24 June 2004)
Ignored or picked on, its a hard fight: After 11 years at a large finance company, "Julie Dunlop" was promoted to group auditor but soon realised she was paid less than male employees in equivalent positions. A new supervisor then began treating her differently; she was excluded from group events and felt her work was over-scrutinised. Read more at smh.com.au>> (23 June 2004)
Holding steady: Here's the good news: there are more female general counsel at Fortune 500 companies in 2004 than there were last year. The not-so-good news is that the increase is minuscule: 71 over last year's 70, a mere 14 percent among America's largest businesses. Read more at law.com>> (21 June 2004)
Sexism in the city under fire: A$US13million ($19million) sex-discrimination claim against Merrill Lynch, under way in London, turns the spotlight on an unusual legal issue: should executives in different parts of the world be paid equally? Source: afr.com (18 June 2004)
Women's pay: why the gap remains a chasm: A new study spells out the costly impact of family obligations. Read more at businessweek.com>> (14 June 2004)
Goward slams pay equity: Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Pru Goward said at a national women's conference that lack of pay equity is still a major disadvantage for Australian women. Source: wel.org.au (13 June 2004)
I want it all: As a new generation of women find their feet, there are signs of a genuine evolutionary leap in the male of the species, writes Hugh Mackay. Read more at smh.com.au>> (12 June 2004)
Women re-shape legal marketing: Surging numbers of females at law firms has shifted marketing higher up the agenda and altered the way firms conduct their marketing activity, according to recruitment experts. Read more at onrec.com>> (8 June 2004)
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How to help women have more babies: It's wrong to suggest the Government can do nothing to boost the nation's fertility, writes Ross Gittins. If this budget is about anything more than blatant vote-buying, it's about helping parents juggle work and family commitments and hoping this will do something to improve fertility. Read more at smh.com.au>> (2 June 2004)
First among equals: Many women now earn more than their male partners. It sounds fine in theory, but how does it work in practice? Read more at theage.com.au>> (30 May 2004)
Introducing ... the glass cliff: Forget the glass ceiling. The big threat to women's success in top roles is now the 'glass cliff' - being promoted into risky, difficult jobs where the chances of failure are higher. Read more at news.bbc.co.uk>> (28 May 2004)
Summit calls for more women leaders: The Asia-Pacific region has the lowest ratio of women Cabinet members, compared with Europe, the Americas and Africa, according to a report presented to a Seoul meeting of world women leaders. Source: times.hankooki.com (27 May 2004)
Coralled back to the kids and kitchen: When Peter Costello released his Intergenerational Report, at the time of the 2002-03 budget, it showed the potentially dire financial consequences of our ageing population. Implicit in that report was a plea for women to get busy and have babies. That didn't work, so this year's budget is far more explicit. It's all about breeding. Read more at smh.com.au>> (24 May 2004)
Access to paid maternity leave in Australia is unequal within organisations and across industry sectors: Dr Susan Mayson, of Monash University's Department of Management in the Faculty of Business and Economics, said that of the approximately 30 per cent of Australian women who had access to paid maternity leave, most were well paid and highly valued workers. Read more at news-medical.net>> (17 May 2004)
Denial of judgeship to Indian women lawyers: The denial of due representation to female lawyers in elevation as judges of the high courts and the Supreme Court of India, and the urgent need to initiate remedial steps to restore balance in this regard, was discussed at a seminar organised by the female members of the Indian high court bar association. Read more at timesofindia.com>> (17 May 2004)
Open-plan no place for family lore: Academics, politicians and grandmothers blame women's education, selfishness and lack of maternity pay for Australia's low birth rate. But they should examine the contraceptive effects of the hear-it-all office environment says Adele Horin. Read more at smh.com.au>> (15 May 2004)
Women in the UK pay a high price for part-time work: The UK has one of the highest rates of part-time work in Europe and a wide gap exists between the pay of women who work part-time and men who work full-time, according to a new report published by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) and the DTI's Women and Equality Unit. Read more at eoc.org.uk>> (30 March 2004)
Law Council sets standards for equal opportunity in the legal profession: The Law Council has agreed to adopt a national model briefing policy for female barristers and advocates to ensure a level playing field for the Australian legal profession. Read more at lawcouncil.asn.au>> (20 March 2004)
Law Council sets standards for equal opportunity in the legal profession: The Law Council has agreed to adopt a national model briefing policy for female barristers and advocates to ensure a level playing field for the Australian legal profession. Read more at lawcouncil.asn.au>> (20 March 2004)
The glass cutters: Women hold just 9 per cent of executive positions in Australia. Jeni Harvie examines ways through the ceiling. Read more at smh.com.au>> (4 February 2004)
Married to the office: Ten years ago the experts predicted we'd all be working from home and job-sharing by now. So why hasn't it happened? Read more at theage.com.au>> (25 January 2004)
Demand a few changes now, for happy families later: Young women are in a position to push for more flexible work practices that will help future mums. Read more at smh.com.au>> (8 January 2004)
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2003
Law firm faces record £6.8m payout for sex bias: A tribunal ruled that a leading UK law firm blocked the careers of two women solicitors after hearing how one woman was told that she had missed out on promotion because 'to some partners ... it was inconceivable that a man will take orders from a woman'. Source: news.independent.co.uk (23 December 2003)
Women break 'silk ceiling' in corporate law boom: The surging demand for legal services has enabled record numbers of women to break into one of the last bastions of male dominance of the law. Source: afr.com (19 December 2003)
Don't mention the hormones, female lawyers told: The president of the NSW Bar Association has dismayed women lawyers by declaring that 'hormones and chromosomes' have no relevance in their fight for equal opportunities. Read more at smh.com.au>> (9 December 2003)
The colour barrier: Most law firms are run by a bunch of white guys in their late 50s. There are few women partners, and even fewer minority lawyers populating offices in large law firms. And because in-house counsel usually come up through the law firm ranks, legal departments aren't fairing much better. Source: cltmag.com (November 2003)
Trailblazing lawyer named chief justice: Marilyn Warren made history by becoming Victoria's first woman Chief Justice. Read more at theage.com.au>> (26 November 2003)
Slow trek for women in the law: Tasmanian Attorney General Judy Jackson said women were entering the law in increasing numbers, but there were still barriers to their advancement. Read more at findlaw.com.au>> (5 November 2003)
Australian women are worse off now than at any time in the past decade: Author Anne Summers finds a terrible backslide in equality with women being pushed off the political agenda, increasingly barred from positions of power while issues key to many – including childcare and domestic violence – were being marginalised, even ignored. Read more at bulletin.ninemsn.com.au>> (29 October 2003)
To get ahead, ladies, tell it like it is: Battling the lack of comprehension about the issues facing women in the workforce is an unrewarding and often depressing task according to Di Grady, director of Woolworths, BlueScope Steel (formerly BHP Steel) and Wattyl. Source: afr.com (21 October 2003)
Win for female lawyers: Assistant Treasurer Helen Coonan plans to fight discrimination against female barristers by giving more government legal work to women. Source: assistant.treasurer.gov.au (2 September 2003)
Women needed in export: Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner Pru Goward says Australian businesswomen must be encouraged to move into the export market. Source: themercury.news.com.au
Women's summit to lighten the load: The Women in Global Leadership Summit aims to encourage a seachange in the way work affects the lives and health of women and their families. Source: theadvertiser.news.com.au
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