Fear a factor in leaving law behind the times

Sydney Morning Herald
May 27, 2004

By Michael Pelly

Women are failing to break down the male domination of barrister's ranks because of two "F factors" - fear and family.

 
But when they do, they prefer to specialise in family law, human rights and they consider policies designed to give them more work "quite offensive".
 
The observations are contained in a NSW Bar Association study into why the huge numbers of women going through law schools - as high as 77 per cent of students - has not translated into a jump in their numbers at the bar.
 
Ten years ago, there were 12,283 practising solicitors - 8992 male and 3291 female. Women now comprise 7469 out of 18,882 - meaning their ratio has risen from 25.8 per cent to 39.6 per cent.
 
But the number of female barristers has only risen from 11.3 per cent in 1996 to 14.7 per cent, of more than 2000 in NSW.
 
The association's journal, Bar News, found perceptions of life at the bar were crucial in many women rejecting it as a career move. "As one woman succinctly expressed it, 'it boils down to the two F factors: fear and family. Whereas men might be encouraged to follow through with their risky professional dreams and vocations, women were, whether innately or by social conditioning, more risks adverse'," it said.
 
The journal cites professions with similar gender imbalances. The ratio of female interns at hospitals has risen to 48 per cent but only 7 per cent of surgeons.
 
Christine Adamson, SC, says she is like a born-again Christian when talking up the bar. "I tell them it's great and it will be better if more women come."
 
Ms Adamson, one of nine women out of 281 senior counsel, is mentoring barristers Miiko Kumar, Tiffany Wong and Katherine Richardson and says the fear is real. "I'm sure a lot of women look at the bar and say 'Am I going to get a fair go, are my talents going to be recognised?'
 
"I think because of the way my parents brought me up I don't have that fear but I have heard that many women do and are risk adverse. But it's probably a lot to do with the encouragement they are given . . . and with the family, people can do both."
 
The study says "the hierarchies, networks and supports are instrinsically male".
 
Ms Adamson said women barristers should reach a 50 per cent ratio in time. "Why not . . . It depends on how hard everyone tries because there are huge waves of intelligent, articulate women who need to be shown this is an available career."
 
ends

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