Group calls for advancement of women in legal profession

Adeola Sunmola, the Trustee and Member of Steering Committee Women in the Profession Programme (WIP), has called for the need for the advancement of women in the legal profession, adding that if the right processes in place, women will be able to succeed.

She also stated that women are finding it challenging to get business leads, and pursue business leads.

Sunmola, who disclosed this yesterday in Lagos, during the empowering women for the future session with the theme: “Strategic Rainmaking,” said the organisation is seeking to bring women together and have a conversation about rainmaking and business development because they found that this is one of the most challenging issues for women in the legal profession that are seeking to build business businesses.

She remarked that the session provided opportunity to discuss those challenges facing women and the solutions to those challenges and most importantly, how women in the legal profession can be rainmakers.

She further explained that the growth trajectory of women in the legal profession is a combination of many things, adding that women are in the majority, especially at the State level. Therefore, the data shows that there are a higher percentage of female judges than their male counterparts.

But this is not exactly the case in private practices.

According to her, “I don’t have that challenge in my firm because in my firm the ratio of men and women is 50-50. We are 50 female, and 50 percent male, both at partner level, junior and mid level. But that is not the same story for every other firm. In many other firms, there are still more male partners than women and the reason why this story resonates with me is because I work in a firm that was co founded by a woman.

“So, I am the beneficiary of that woman’s legacy, if I may put it that way. But that is not the story for many other women. You know, many other women and that is why this session is important.

“I don’t see their prospect being different from that of the men. I think yes, women may do have their challenges in a marriage, childcare, and other areas, but I think it is a question of processes. If we put the right processes in place, then women will be able to succeed.

“My message is that if the man can do it, we can do it. We can build successful legal practices. We can be successful individually in our various practices and pursuits. We just need to put in the work and we need to find the right processes that will help us.

She said the things that women can outsource, can be done but they shouldn’t leave their children entirely at the mercy of nannies.

She however hinted that if women are able to identify good nannies that can take care of their kids when they are at work, then they should pursue this.

“I’m having these conversations with younger people where they are saying things like, Oh, I can’t have a nanny, because my husband doesn’t like it and, and at the institutional level, I feel that women also need men to be their cheerleaders. In my firm, we have been successful because the men have really supported us. That is the truth.”