Equal numbers of men and women may well be called to the Bar, but the female brain drain continues. Catherine Baksi talks to mothers at the Bar about the practical challenges they face.
It is less than a hundred years since women have been permitted to practise at the Bar, following the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919. Until 1990, some chambers still operated a men only policy. Despite this, the advancement of women at the Bar, or “Portia’s progress” as some commentators have called it, has been steady. Men and women are now coming to the Bar in roughly equal numbers, but more than twice as many women as men leave independent practice between six and 10 years’ call. According to Bar Council exit surveys, this is largely due to childcare issues. The long hours, unpredictable nature of the job and often precarious financial situation for those at the self-employed Bar make it difficult to juggle with family life.