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Q & A with Sharon El-Nawar, Solicitor
Added by Berlad Graham
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March 8, 2023
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To celebrate International Women’s Day, we caught up with Solicitor, Sharon El-Nawar, who tells us about what this day means to her and the challenges faced by women.
- Why is International Women’s Day important to you?
International Women’s Day celebrates women of all backgrounds and reminds us that there are no wrong decisions: You can be a mother AND a CEO, a doctor, nurse, athlete or solicitor. You can also be neither, or both. As such, International Women’s Day reminds me to be grateful for the opportunities I have and the strength and versatility of women in history, globally.
This day is also a yearly reminder that whilst we have made great progress in the West, the fight for equal opportunity is not over and we must not settle just because we have been successful in our own personal lives.
- Which women have inspired you?
As a woman in law, I must mention the inspiration of none other than Baroness Hale: the first woman Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, its first woman President and the first woman appointed to the Law Commission. Her judgments are mostly been reasonable and fair, and throughout her career she worked with others in the Commission to deliver equal laws including significant changes to the Children Act 1989, the Family Law Act 1996, and the Mental Capacity Act 2005; laws which I refer to regularly.
- What challenges do women in law face today?
The numbers of women in law is improving, It was empowering to see so many female solicitors at my recent qualification ceremony. However, the seniority gap between female partners and solicitors remains significant. In April 2022, the SRA found that women are underrepresented at partner level in firms of all sizes, but to a greater extent in the largest law firms.
Luckily, the same cannot be said for Berlad Graham, which is made up of predominantly female solicitors and has a majority of female partners. Our Consultancy positions allow solicitors to work form the location they choose and for the hours they choose. Such flexibility is mostly beneficial for parents as they can work around the school pick ups and drops offs, and arrange their time off as and when they feel necessary.