Advancing and engaging women
Increasing representation of women
We have committed to achieving an aspirational gender diversity target: a minimum of 40 percent women, a minimum of 40 percent men and 20 percent flexibility to be truly inclusive including those who are non-binary, men and women. The ratio forms the basis for a range of gender metrics, including:
- Overall partnership
- Management committees and leadership roles (including client relationship partners and business services leaders)
- Partner promotions (in 2023, we achieved a 50/50 split, with 18 women and 18 men earning promotions in locations around the world)
- External partner candidates
- Senior business services hires
Engaging and empowering women
Resource groups for women
We have women’s resource groups in many of our offices around the world which aim to support the personal and professional career development of women at all levels within the firm.
These resource groups also support our strategy for women by providing a broad range of internal events that focus on career progression for women, as well as access to female role models across the firm. Client events for networking and business development purposes are also arranged through these women’s resource groups.
Nurturing high performance
Our Career Strategies Program (CSP), which launched in 2010, is a modular development program aimed at creating a more gender balanced partnership. It was the first of its kind in the legal sector and the initial objective was to increase the number of female partners in Europe, Middle East and Asia from 16 percent to 21 percent over three years – a target which we achieved and surpassed.
The CSP was also rolled out in Australia in 2014, and in Canada and the US in 2015, contributing to an increase in female partner representation in those regions as well.
Percentage of women in the partnership (as of August 2023)
29% |
30% |
27% |
30% |
| Global | Australia | Canada | Europe, Middle East and Asia |
36% |
25% |
45% |
40% |
| South Africa | United States | Global Executive Committee |
Global Supervisory Board |
