I only realised a few weeks ago that 8 March was International Women’s Day when emails from law firms and PRs slowly started to flood my inbox asking if the Gazette was producing content to mark the day and pitching editorial contributions from women solicitors.

Monidipa Fouzder 2018

Monidipa Fouzder

Source: Michael Cross

The purpose of International Women's Day is to celebrate women’s achievements. It was only 104 years ago that legislation opening up the profession to women received royal assent.

International Women's Day also provides an opportunity to renew calls for gender equality. Women make up 53% of solicitors holding a practising certificate but only a third of partners in private practice.

However, firms shouldn’t be pitching pieces for us to run in the Gazette from female colleagues only because International Women’s Day is coming up.

Same goes for other occasions. October marks Black History Month. I really hope I don’t have to wait six months until someone pitches me a black solicitor to write a comment piece or feature in our My Legal Life section.

Today gives us an opportunity to reflect on all that women have endured, achieved and are still fighting for.

Yes, we've produced content for International Women’s Day, but don’t let that stop you putting forward women solicitors to feature in the Gazette all the other days of the year.

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