As the month in which the International Women's Day is celebrated comes to an end, the International Bar Association’s (IBA) President, Jaime Carey, has reaffirmed the Association’s commitment to fostering a more diverse and inclusive legal profession.

In addition to participating in a virtual event with the IBA Women Lawyers’ Committee (WLC) on 8 March 2025 that celebrated women legal professionals from jurisdictions across the world, he also held a local event to inspire and guide the younger generation of female practitioners in their professional careers in his locale of Santiago, Chile.

With diversity and inclusion at the heart of the IBA, the President highlights a selection of projects and initiatives undertaken:

• Promoting diversity in the legal profession: The IBA has developed a broad set of principles consistent with its policy, promoting gender equality in law firms, corporations and government institutions.
• Strengthening women's access to leadership positions: Through its committees and global networks, the IBA works to increase female representation in decision-making roles, including achieving partnerships and leadership positions in international law firms.
• Establishing the IBA Women Lawyers’ Committee (WLC: A platform that collaborates with various organisations to promote gender equality policies and improve working conditions for women in the legal sector.
• Developing regulations and best practice guidelines: The IBA has issued recommendations and studies on gender parity, supported by the WLC, which promote inclusive policies and the retention of female talent in the legal sector.
• Collecting data and raising awareness of the gender gap: Studies have been conducted to analyse the barriers women face in the legal profession, addressing issues such as discrimination and lack of access to career development opportunities.
• Creating the IBA Diversity and Inclusion Council: A body dedicated to promoting diversity in the legal profession, addressing both gender equity and the inclusion of underrepresented groups.
• Publishing the '50:50 by 2030 Gender Project' report: A study based on interviews and data from multiple jurisdictions, highlighting gender disparities in the legal profession and providing specific recommendations to improve parity.
• Encouraging global law firms to adopt mentoring and sponsorship programmes: The IBA has offered support for law firms to implement mentorship programmes for women lawyers, ensuring a strong talent pipeline for leadership roles.
• Creating the 'Male Champions for Change' programme: The initiative recognises and strengthens the role of male leaders as catalysts for advancing gender equality. This initiative highlights the importance of male allies in driving meaningful change and outlines specific actions proposed by the WLC to support and amplify their impact.
• Launching the ‘Inspirational Legal Women’ podcast: The series encourages inspirational IBA members with interesting careers and remarkable stories to share their thoughts and experiences about what it means to be a woman in the legal profession and how they have navigated different types of workplaces and challenges over the course of their careers.

Mr Carey commented: ‘The IBA is an organisation that represents the world's lawyers from the five continents bringing their history, culture, understanding and ethnic sound values with a common cause: to uphold the fundamental values of the rule of law, including human dignity, equality and non-discrimination, around the world.  We are proud of our diverse membership and believe that there cannot be a better example of a more diverse organisation.’

ENDS

Contact: IBApressoffice@int-bar.org

Notes to the reader:

1. The International Bar Association (IBA), the global voice of the legal profession, is the foremost organisation for international legal practitioners, bar associations and law societies. Established in 1947, shortly after the creation of the United Nations, it was born out of the conviction that an organisation made up of the world's bar associations could contribute to global stability and peace through the administration of justice.

   The IBA has considerable expertise in providing assistance to the global legal community, and through its global membership, it influences the development of international law reform and helps to shape the future of the legal profession throughout the world.

2. Find the IBA on social media here:
   • www.x.com/IBAnews
   • www.x.com/IBAevents
   • www.facebook.com/internationalbarassociation
   • www.linkedin.com/company/international-bar-association
   • bsky.app/profile/ibanews.bsky.social

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IBA website page link for this news release:
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Full link: https://www.ibanet.org/IBA-President-reaffirms-the-organisations-commitment-to-promoting-diversity-and-inclusion-in-law