Russell Kennedy launched a formal Gender Equity Strategy on Wednesday, International Women’s Day, aiming to become a Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) Employer of Choice for Gender Equality.
Russell Kennedy's managing partner, Paul Gleeson, said the strategy is part of the firm’s “make a difference” philosophy and will shape the firm’s culture. Gleeson, appointed as chair of the firm’s gender equality committee, said the strategy focuses on flexibility, gender composition, gender pay equity, and leader and manager capability.
Gleeson said he is already pleased with the firm’s efforts on flexibility and pay equity. He also recently announced that he has signed the pledge to be a WGEA Pay Equity Ambassador.
The establishment of the strategy adds to the Russell Kennedy Women’s Network (RKWN), said Marika Hubble-Marriott, firm principal and RKWN convenor. She said that the strategy sets out ways to achieve accountability, because what gets measured gets done. It also ensures that gender remains on the agenda.
“Gender equality aims to benefit both men and women in their professional and personal lives,” she said.
Leanda Nissen, HR manager, said that the focus on gender composition will see the firm establish specific measures to further gender equality in professional development and opportunities for promotion.
Of the 34 firms given last year’s Employer of Choice for Gender Equality by the WGEA in the professional, scientific, and technical services industry,
17 are law firms.
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