Women now outstrip men in legal field
Mary Claudio with her children from (from left) Njambi, Munga and Muthoni pose for a photo with a copy of the Constitution after she was admitted to the bar last Friday: Photo/Seth Onyango
There was a time when the law profession was male-dominated. Except for a sprinkling of women, Law Society of Kenya meetings were largely a stag affair.
But that is changing fast. Women are not only now well represented in the law profession, they are on the way to outstripping men in the practice.
Judiciary statistics show women lawyers have tipped the scales in the last five years. Of the 4, 584 lawyers who have been admitted to the roll of advocates in that period, 75 per cent are women.
None other than Chief Justice Willy Mutunga acknowledges that women have won the case for equal representation in the profession.“This is a significant transition from what used to be a male-dominated profession,” Dr Mutunga said last week when he admitted over 500 lawyers to the bar.
With women outstripping their male counterparts, the profession is set to become one of the most diverse in the country. Mary Waitherero Claudio, a 32-year-old mother of three, is one of the many women who were recently joined the bar.
Claudio, who was widowed two years ago, made a promise to her husband before he died that, like the proverbial phoenix, she would rise above the myriad of challenges to become an advocate of the High Court, a promise she has kept.
“I am happy to note that many women are taking their position in the legal profession,” she said. She says women’s trajectory in the legal field is expected to propel more women into leadership positions in politics and business.
Claudio, who now boasts a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and Master of Laws (LLM) from the UK, plans to use her position to fight for the rights of the marginalised in the society.
However, women still face hurdles. Despite the increasing number of women graduating from law school and passing bar exams, the proportion of female judges and partners at major law firms have not kept pace.
For instance, fewer women are being entrusted with big cases, with clients preferring male lawyers. But Claudio exudes confidence the society will change its attitude towards women lawyers and trust them with heir cases.
“Women are passionate about what they do, and soon clients will understand that we are sharp and tough enough to handle any legal battle,” she said.
