WASHINGTON, March 8, 2023 – The American Bar Association joins with the world community today to celebrate International Women's Day, which recognizes the social, economic, political and cultural achievements of women and commits to the acceleration towards true equality for all women and girls.
This year’s theme, #EmbraceEquity, has long been endorsed by the ABA which counts eliminating bias and enhancing diversity as one of its four core goals.
In 2022, women earned an average of 82% of what men earned, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis. This pay gap has barely budged since 2002, when women earned 80% as much as men. The 2022 World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report said at this rate, the gender gap will not be closed for another 132 years.
Equity for women in all areas must be a priority. The legal profession has much more work to do to reach gender equity as women make up only 38% of all lawyers and only 12% of managing partners. Progress must be faster.
Lawyers are committed to justice and fairness. We have a vital role to play in effecting positive change. On this day, all members of the legal community need to recommit themselves to achieving gender equity.
The ABA is the largest voluntary association of lawyers in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.