The challenges to gender equality in the legal profession in South Africa : a case for substantive equality as a means for achieving gender transformation

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dc.contributor.author Lasseko-Phooko, Matilda
dc.contributor.author Mahomed, Safia
dc.date.accessioned 2021-08-20T09:43:29Z
dc.date.available 2021-08-20T09:43:29Z
dc.date.issued 2021
dc.description.abstract South Africa lags behind with regard to an effective framework supporting substantive equality in the legal profession. The structure of the legal profession and the number of women represented in the legal profession do not as yet reflect the diversity of South African society. A number of factors play a role in the skewed representation of female attorneys and advocates in the legal profession. In addition, formal equality cannot translate into gender transformation, as the issues that cause such inequalities extend beyond the scope of attaining sameness. International instruments suggest that special measures be adopted to achieve substantive equality specifically with regard to the role of women in the workplace. This article analyses the current composition of the legal profession from the perspective of gender and race, while promoting the concept of substantive equality as a preferred approach to gender transformation in the legal profession. It considers the theoretical framework for gender equality as a human right in South Africa by examining relevant legislation and international and regional instruments, and analysing the extent to which the Cape Bar maternity policy, as an existing transformation initiative, implemented on the basis of a gender stereotype, encourages substantive gender transformation in the legal profession. en_ZA
dc.description.department Centre for Human Rights en_ZA
dc.description.librarian pm2021 en_ZA
dc.description.uri https://www.ahrlj.up.ac.za en_ZA
dc.identifier.citation M. Lasseko-Phooko & S. Mahomed ‘The challenges to gender equality in the legal profession in South Africa: A case for substantive equality as a means for achieving gender transformation’ (2021) 21 African Human Rights Law Journal 494-521 http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/1996-2096/2021/v21n1a21. en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn 1609-073X (print)
dc.identifier.issn 1996-2096 (online)
dc.identifier.other 10.17159/1996-2096/2021/v21n1a21
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/2263/81397
dc.language.iso en en_ZA
dc.publisher Pretoria University Law Press (PULP) en_ZA
dc.rights © University of Pretoria. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. en_ZA
dc.subject Gender equality en_ZA
dc.subject Human rights en_ZA
dc.subject Legal profession en_ZA
dc.subject Substantive equality en_ZA
dc.subject Formal equality en_ZA
dc.subject Gender transformation en_ZA
dc.subject Gender stereotypes en_ZA
dc.title The challenges to gender equality in the legal profession in South Africa : a case for substantive equality as a means for achieving gender transformation en_ZA
dc.type Article en_ZA


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