If, like us, you want to do something during Women’s History Month, here are a few impactful, practical, and meaningful ways to support women – not just this month but all year ‘round.
Participate in equity-based professional development training. Industry organizations, such as the American Bar Association, offer webinars, panel discussions, and other training opportunities that focus on equity. For instance, on March 20, 2024, the ABA is hosting a day of conversation in which highly accomplished women will share their experiences.
Examine pay equity and other internal policies in your organization to ensure inclusion. Does your compensation structure value mentorship? How does your firm handle origination credit? Do the criteria for promotion ensure equity? Examine the ways in which your firm’s policies may promote or hinder opportunities for advancement so that you can reconsider ways to be more inclusive.
Mentor young women in your industry. But try to avoid the “let me tell you what to do” approach. The strongest relationships are those built on mutuality. Reverse mentoring is a great way to facilitate open dialogue, foster empathy, discourage shaming, and fully capture the wisdom that every generation in the law firm has to offer. You can read more in Deb Knupp’s blog post here.
Support female entrepreneurs. Women-owned businesses and entrepreneurs face unique hurdles to professional advancement, including a lack of access to funding and a persistent gender gap. By supporting female entrepreneurs, you can help close that gap and provide women-owned businesses with the resources they need to be successful.
Intentionally include women in your business development efforts. Law firms should also be aware of how these traditional business models and intrapersonal dynamics create business development challenges for lawyers from underrepresented backgrounds. Law firms can include women in their business development efforts by aligning business development with talent development, providing resources to help people build business development skills and experience, and being mindful of representation. Read more of Tasneem Khokha’s blog post here.
