The Bwari Women Forum of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBAWF) Friday lamented what it termed discriminatory practices limiting career advancement, equal pay and opportunities of the female folks in the legal profession.
It said that despite the rapid increase in the number of female lawyers, women have remained under-represented in top legal positions, even as it added that another barrier was insufficient mentoring opportunities.
Justice Maryanne Annenih stated this at the 2024 NBA Bwari Women Forum Annual Summit, with the theme, “Breaking the Barriers: Empowering Female Lawyers”.
She noted that women in the legal profession are redefining the field of law and shaping the course of justice.
A handful of female lawyers, she said have attained significant leadership roles and managerial positions including the bar, the bench and even in the academia.
She added: “However, the barriers to attaining this height cannot be over stated. This has led many women to abandon the legal profession.
“As we are well aware, that in environments such as ours, women are often expected to bear the bulk of domestic responsibilities, which may include caring for children, elderly parents, spouses and managing households.
“These duties coupled with the demands of a legal career can sometimes be overwhelming.”
According to her, Long hours, demanding clients and high-stake cases can leave little time or energy for personal and family responsibilities.
Annenih explained that the role of female lawyers in the society cannot be overemphasised,
Her words: “It is axiomatic that the legal profession in Nigeria has made significant strides by promoting the participation of women in every strata of the Justice administration and the entire land scape of the institutions of the rule of law in this nation.
“There is no doubt that in Nigeria, women have not been left out when it comes to high performance in the legal profession.
“The most commonly discussed barrier is Gender Bias. We all know what this barrier entails. Women face hardships that includes minimal inclusion in leadership due to lack of gender sensitivity in the system.”