International Women’s day for women in Law
International women’s day celebrates all women who fought for advancements in the past, present and future. Bringing awareness to the struggles and the wins that women have gone through to build a better future for women which is vital to human success.
Women in Law
Carrie Morrison was the first female solicitor from 1922 entering into a male-dominated field and setting the way for many women after her.
Now, the Law Society reports that 53% of all practising lawyers are women and 60% of new solicitors are women.
Despite Women now entering and practicing law only 35% of partners in law firms are women. Senior positions are still greatly dominated by men in the legal industry.
Legal setbacks for women
Over the years there have been major strides forward for women’s rights and thousands of women are in safer, cleaner and overall better positions because of them.
However, movement is slow and in many cases stifled or even moving backwards rather than forwards. Women’s rights activists and lawyers are still fighting for several aspects including women’s health, education and more.
- In Afghanistan, under Taliban rule girls and women are forbidden to attend secondary school or enter the workforce which has undermined 2 decades of educational and economic progress.
- In the U.S. the Supreme Court ruling over reproductive rights has meant that many young girls and women now have fewer rights than their mother’s and grandmother’s did at their age.
- 1 in 3 girls ages 15-19 are still victims of genital mutilation in 31 countries.
- Child Marriage has declined but 1 in 5 girls worldwide are still being married before they are 18. UNICEF reports the affects of this as these girls are more likely to live in poverty, suffer complicated pregnancies, experience violence and be excluded from school.
Despite great steps forward we are still witnessing thousands of women and girls face horrendous conditions and fates due to their gender.
Statistics from The Fund for Global Human Rights highlight the need for awareness and a continues fight to be made for women around the world.
- 1 in 3 women will experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime.
- It will take 130 years to close the global gender pay gap at the current rate.
- 90 million women live in countries that ban abortion.
MSI choices reports that only 57% of women around the world are able to make their own informed decision on sex and reproductive health. MSI choices work to support women in their decisions and provide the resources they need to have control over their own lives.
Reproductive choice is the gateway to a gender equal world
History
March 8, 1857, one of the first organised strikes by working women occurred with female textile workers marching in protest of unfair working conditions and unequal rights for women.
March 8, 1908, women workers in the needle trades marched through New York to protest child labour and sweatshop working conditions and to demand women’s suffrage.
March 8, 1910, International Women’s day became an annual event.
On International Women’s day this year we remember the work that still needs to be done and the work already done by activists and women’s rights lawyers.
