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Accelerate Action – Celebrating International Women’s Day 2025

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Simon England Friday 7 March 2025

The theme for International Women’s Day 2025 is ‘Accelerate Action’, highlighting the push for a world free from bias and discrimination.

To celebrate, we spoke with some of our colleagues about their experiences, achievements, and insights while advocating for women’s equality in the workplace.

What is one initiative or policy at Harrison Drury that has made a real difference for women?

Kerry: I am a member of the people, health and wellbeing team, which is dedicated to looking for ways to improve the health and wellbeing of our staff.

One of the initiatives we have introduced for women in the firm is a dedicated menopause policy that encourages all managers and staff to attend menopause training. This recognises the impact that menopause can have on women, not only on their bodies, but their work and personal life.

What is one professional milestone you’re particularly proud of?

Kerry: My proudest milestone is qualifying as a solicitor, for two reasons. The first is that my qualification year coincided with the 100-year anniversary of women in law. My route to qualification was new to the firm and allowed me to develop my corporate specialism early on in my career, and to qualify amidst the national celebration of women in law was something special.

The second reason is still my proudest milestone, which is seeing the love and support from my family when I was invited to the Law Society in London to mark my admission to the roll.

Faye: I am particularly proud of when I first started my Cilex Professional Qualification, a five-year course that I’m completing alongside my full-time job. This would not be possible without the support of my amazing colleagues and has helped me progress at an efficient pace to qualify within the next couple of years.

Lucy: A timely question, as I qualified as a solicitor this week – the ultimate milestone! It’s the culmination of years of hard work in academia and in practice, I’m very proud of myself. I think it’s important for women to be comfortable about being openly proud of their achievements.

Rhian: There are a number of professional milestones I am proud of, those of particular note include being the first member of my immediate family to go to university, qualifying as a solicitor and recently being promoted to senior associate.

I constantly challenge myself to break barriers and continue to push myself to succeed, in what has traditionally been a male dominated profession.

What does an inclusive and supportive workplace look like to you?

Kerry: Having managers who have received training that cater not just to all ages, genders and abilities, and being proactive in offering staff adaptive measures.

Support can only be given if the workforce feels able to ask for it, so nurturing a culture where no subject is off-limits and having a network in place to support staff is the key to success.

Faye: Harrison Drury creates a workplace where everyone is treated with respect, whether it’s in a formal or casual setting. It offers equal opportunities to all and bring people in based on their skills, no matter their background. I really think they do a great job of promoting this.

Lucy: I always feel like I’ve been well-supported by my colleagues at Harrison Drury. Having a team who care about you on a personal level is so important, and it allows me to be open and vulnerable when I need to be.

I started at Harrison Drury as a paralegal, and I have always felt that my opinions and thoughts were sought after and valued as much as the partners’. I’ve never been made to feel ‘less than’ anyone else.

Rhian: A workplace with equal opportunities that promotes diversity and inclusion and where everyone feels valued, respected, empowered, listened to and supported.

What advice would you give to young women considering a career in law?

Kerry: My advice would be – go for it! The legal market has changed massively in the past five years and will hopefully continue to adapt. Come and do some work experience with Harrison Drury and you will see that individualism is celebrated.

Faye: Take your time, embrace every opportunity, and don’t take setbacks to heart. The legal sector demands hard work, but if you focus your efforts in the right areas, you’ll be on the right track.

There are so many pathways into law now, making it more accessible than ever. I’d recommend talking to people in the industry and exploring your options before making any big decisions.

Lucy: Work as hard as you can and get the grades! It will allow you to keep as many doors open as possible.

Rhian: Short and sweet but, do it! The legal profession, whilst competitive and at times highly demanding, is as an extremely rewarding profession to work in. Never doubt your ability and know your worth, never measure yourself against others and be kind, it goes a long way.

What is one small but impactful action we can all take to accelerate gender equality in law?

Kerry: Gender equality is not just about fitting a quota; it is engendering a compassionate atmosphere that acknowledges the issues women face during their career.

One thing we can do is be more vocal when we see inequality in any form. Often, we rely on someone else to raise their hand, but we all need to feel empowered to speak up.

How can women in law support and uplift each other in their careers?

Kerry: According to data from the Solicitors Regulatory Authority, women make up 62% of England and Wales’ solicitors. Although we work in vastly different fields of law, and often represent opposing clients, we need to remember that we are part of this group together.

There is little harm in congratulating a woman’s achievement or for reaching out to offer support just because she works for a competing firm. As much as possible, we should be helping each other out.

Faye: We all come from different backgrounds, and every woman has her own path to success. The journey will look different for each of us, and at our own pace. It’s up to us to support and uplift women in whatever way they choose to achieve their goals.

Lucy: Lawyers can be burdened by a reputation of competitiveness, but I have never felt the need to compete against my female colleagues. We’re on the same team, and there’s enough room at the table for everyone. Bringing your colleagues up with you is not going to hinder your progress.

Rhian: By celebrating each other’s successes and calling out unequal treatment and bias. There is also a continued need for women in senior leadership positions to guide, mentor and support, to allow for other women to excel into leadership roles.

What positive changes have you seen in gender equality in the legal industry over the past few years?

Faye: One of the main changes we’ve seen in the past few years is the rise in women joining the legal sector. It’s amazing to see more recognition of our skills and contributions, proving that we’re just as capable and valuable as our male counterparts. At Harrison Drury, it is amazing to see that over 72% of our staff are females.

Rhian: The gender pay gap has improved significantly, with it reported in the legal sector to be lower than the UK median gender pay gap across all industries. That said, there is still a way to go and there needs to be a continued push to ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work.