Ireland makes legal gender equality history | euronews, world news

A new milestone has been reached in the battle to achieve gender equality in sectors that have been dominated by men for centuries.

According to new statistics, Ireland is thought to be the first country in the world where female solicitors now outnumber male solicitors. The Law Society of Ireland says at the end of 2014 there were 4,623 female solicitors, compared to 4,609 male solicitors. The figures relate to practising solicitors.

“To our knowledge, this is the first time a female majority has existed in any legal profession anywhere in the world,” said Teri Kelly from the Law Society of Ireland.This is seen as a major achievement in Ireland, given it was just 92 years ago that the country’s first woman solicitor, Mary Dorothea Heron, was admitted to the profession.

While Ireland still has a lot of work to do to achieve gender balance in business and politics, there have been major advances in the legal profession. The Law Society points out that women now dominate senior state law and justice appointments.

via Ireland makes legal gender equality history | euronews, world news.