Gender equality at work is only way to fulfil UK’s potential, says Justice Secretary

Justice Secretary David Gauke said there's 'more to do' in fight for gender equality
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Mark Bentham7 November 2018
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Britain will “damage its potential as a nation” and forfeit up to £150 billion of economic growth in less than a decade if it fails to ensure gender equality in the workplace, the Justice Secretary warned today.

David Gauke told a conference of female lawyers in London that there had already been “some encouraging progress” in helping more women reach the top of the legal profession.

But he said there was still “more to do” and that men also needed to act as “agents of change” to join women in their fight for equality in all sectors.

He added that he was not making the call because it was the “trendy” thing to say but because it “would be foolish” to maintain the “tired and outdated status quo”. He also cited estimates from management consultants McKinsey suggesting that achieving gender equality could add £150 billion to the British economy by 2025, as he set out a range of measures intended to improve diversity in the law.

“Gender inequality is an issue that affects all people and is not just a struggle for women by women”, Mr Gauke told the conference organised by the charity Spark 21.

“Maintaining the status quo could damage our potential as a nation ... £150 billion is a figure that we simply cannot afford to ignore. What’s more, companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 15 per cent more likely to have profits above their industry average. Those are astonishing figures and should serve as a call to arms to all of us that committing to gender equality is the smart thing to do.”

Mr Gauke said that in the legal profession there was “much to celebrate” with the Supreme Court now having three female justices, including the President Baroness Hale, and women representing more than 50 per cent of practising solicitors.

But only 37 per cent of barristers and 15 per cent of QCs were female, and women accounted for just a third or less of partners in law firms. He said there were also still too few female judges, and he and the senior judiciary would be encouraging women who were solicitors or legal academics to apply.

“A well-functioning justice system should accurately reflect the society it serves”, he added.

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