The 2022 Women in the Workplace report from Lean In and McKinsey & Co. is out and it is by no means rosy.  The report reveals that companies across corporate America are struggling to retain the relatively few women in leadership positions. The report is based on a study involving 333 companies employing more than 12 million people, and a survey of more than 40,000 employees including women of diverse identities and backgrounds. In short, it is comprehensive and provides an intersectional look at biases and barriers. So, what is causing senior women to leave their existing leadership positions in what McKinsey & Co. has coined the “the Great Breakup”? The authors suggest that lack of flexibility, being overworked and under-recognized, and microaggressions that continue even at the C-Suite level, are the primary reasons emerging from the study. What is…

We’ve seen law firms (and all employers) take large strides over the last couple of decades to improve gender diversity in their workforce. The research is clear: a diverse workplace is a better workplace. But why, despite these efforts, do gender inequalities in the workplace continue to persist? A new article out of Forbes entitled “Women’s Equality In The Workplace Requires Greater Inclusion”[1], suggests that the problem might be the single-minded focus on diversity, or specifically, numerical representation as a proxy for diversity, with not enough emphasis on inclusion and equity. Perhaps there has been less of an emphasis on the more “qualitative” factors of inclusion and equity because they are more difficult to measure. Attempting to tackle this problem, the author of this article and their colleagues developed a way of measuring inclusion at an organization by measuring the…

Hi, it’s me, you’re not the problem. It’s your workplace. What organizations get wrong about imposter syndrome and how to fix it.  One of the most pervasive themes in the current dialogue about equity and advancing women in the workplace is imposter syndrome, and the many ways feelings of self-doubt, inadequacy and unworthiness serve as a powerful barrier to women’s full and equitable participation in the workplace. The phenomenon is especially pronounced among women in leadership. A recent KPMG study found that 75% of 750 high-achieving women executives across diverse sectors report having personally experienced imposter syndrome at some point in their careers. Almost as many believe that their male colleagues do not experience imposter syndrome to the same extent as women. When asked how they overcame feelings of imposter syndrome, just over 70% of women executives identified the support…

“Equality is giving everyone the same pair of shoes. Equity is giving everyone a pair of shoes that fits.” -Author unknown   I grew up in the 80s, graduating from law school in 1992. My early exposure to feminism was focused on ensuring that women were given the same opportunities as men – specifically opportunities in  the workplace and in life in general. The 80s were a very different time for women and this time in history had a very different focus when it came to understanding the barriers to equality that women faced. The seminal 1973 decision of Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in the US and it was only in 1988 that the Supreme Court of Canada legalized abortion for Canadian women in all circumstances. Prior to the Morgentaler decision, s. 251 of the Criminal Code made the…

Dear: Putting the Right Foot Forward, Firstly, congratulations on making it this far! You have come a long way and are now approaching the final hurdle before you are finally called to the bar. Take a moment to appreciate how far you have come. Here are some of my tips on how to get prepared for articling, PLTC and the bar exams. Enjoy your Pre-Articling Down Time First and foremost, there is only so much you can do to prepare for your articling year. Enjoy your pre-articling down time. Life as an articling student is challenging and demanding. Take time now before you start to relax and enjoy some down time if you can. You want to start your articles fresh and energized.   Get Organized Plan your daily schedule, and then plan and schedule as if your day will…