International Women's Day 2023

8 MARCH 2023 09:00

In celebration of International Women's Day 2023, we have asked our female Senior Directors for their views on the importance of supporting women within the workplace, and for their reflection on the successes of the last year. We are proud that three of our four Senior Directors are women.

Juliet Phillips-James (Senior Director)

"Another year has gone by and I have been reflecting on the past year, not just on my immediate environment but the world at large. It saddens me to observe that in this modern day there are still countries where girls and women do not have a voice, education or freedom. As a mother of three daughters the very thought of this horrifies me. There is so much talent and skill possessed by both women and men that it beggars belief that this is still supressed in women in some parts of the world. It is more important than ever to celebrate International Women’s Day and give recognition not to just to the amazing women and men that contribute to our world but to those who are oppressed and cannot be free to be who they really are. International Women’s Day is not about women being better than men but about equality and recognition. In the words of Mary Wollstonecraft ‘I do not wish for women to have power over men; but over themselves."

Clare Tregoning (Senior Director & Head of Dispute Resolution)

"Supporting women in the workplace is vital. Factors that contribute to that are flexibility and encouragement in the workplace. Women who raise children while working still carry the invisible burden of juggling paid work with the additional demands of unpaid childcare. That has an inevitable impact.

For me, it is crucial that women support women. Collaboration always produces better results than competition and you will never truly see the best a person can achieve unless you are fostering them in a safe and supportive work environment. Listen to your female employees. Really get to know them so that you can better understand who they are as a person and what might be going on for them at a particular moment in time. Finally, make sure that you are creating positive opportunities and pathways for development that provide flexibility and deal head on with the additional barriers many women face in the workplace."

Lucy Williams (Senior Director & Head of Family)

"It is not easy for women to pursue careers, particularly in male dominated sectors such as Law which is a difficult career to navigate but can be extremely rewarding. For me, as a single mother to a young child I appreciate the importance of a supportive workplace as it can be extremely difficult to ensure you are providing the best for your child whilst also achieving success within the workplace. It is well known that even in this day and age, women are expected to work like they don’t have children, and raise children like they don’t work. There are plenty of opportunities for women to achieve success within the Legal Sector and many ways to get there. It is important that employers are transparent surrounding the various routes to success and are able to provide a safe, supportive environment to explore the different options as they may just become the backbone of the Company. Hard work does pays off, don’t ever give up and always be proud of your achievements. Smash those glass ceilings!!"

 

 

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