Taking big strides: Eradicating micro aggressions to achieve gender equality in the legal profession
International Women’s Day is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the achievements of women and to contribute to a growing global community committed to take action on gender equality.
In March 2022, the Law Society will be focusing its international discussion on the topic of eradicating micro aggressions as a way of achieving gender equality in the legal profession.
Micro aggressions are defined as subtle slights, which can be offensive or hurtful. There are varying categories of workplace micro aggressions and the most common are micro-assaults, microinsults and microinvalidations. Each type can have a lasting impact on the person’s ability to experience belonging, social acceptance, self-esteem, and overall well-being. One of the defining characteristics of micro aggressions is how difficult, frustrating, or risky they can be to confront. In recent times, there has been greater exposure to many forms of micro aggressions and a new awareness about their detrimental impact.
To create a more equal and balanced profession, we all need to take responsibility, be more understanding, and learn to be self-reflective whenever we are biased. For that reason, the purpose of this session will be to discuss:
- What are micro aggressions? What are some examples of these micro aggressions? What might be the specific impact of each?
- To what extent are you aware of how often you and/or others around you use micro aggressions when speaking with or about others of another gender, race, etc.?
- What are the risks associated with confronting micro aggressions?
- How can we, as lawyers, contribute to becoming more self-aware of micro-aggressions to eliminate them from our language?
Sign up here.