The Gender Equality Charter is a set of commitments aimed at improving the retention and advancement of women lawyers. Charter signatories are asked to meet these commitments over a two-year period and report on progress to the Law Society.
By signing up to the charter, signatories commit to:
The specific commitments include tackling unconscious bias, encouraging flexible working, closing the gender pay gap and promoting equitable instructions.
The Charter is open to the whole legal profession. Law firms, in-house legal teams, sole practitioners (including barristers sole) and barristers’ chambers can all sign up to signal their commitment to gender equality and inclusion.
To find out more, check out the charter. To sign up, email womeninlaw@lawsociety.org.nz with the subject line Sign Me Up.
We have also developed guidelines to help anyone who signs up to meet charter commitments.
Some key principles underpin the Gender Equality Charter.
Signing up to the Gender Equality Charter enables signatories to make a public statement of their commitment to improving gender equality and inclusion. Charter signatories are part of a community committed to improving gender equality and inclusion that will lead, develop and share best practice for the benefit of the legal profession. The New Zealand Law Society has become a signatory.
Charter signatories will be able to use a specially designed logo on their communications and marketing.
Find out how to sign up.