Leading employment rights law firm, Thompsons Solicitors, is adding its voice to a global call for gender equality this International Women's Day (8 March 2019).

Staff at Thompsons' UK network of offices are supporting the movement towards gender parity on International Women's Day, an annual awareness event that encourages global activism to ensure long-lasting change. 

This year, its campaign is #BalanceforBetter, following on from the recent Global Gender Gap Report, which predicted that despite improving on last year’s result, it will still take 202 years for the world to reach gender parity.

At Thompsons, we are very proud of the fact that our Executive Board is gender-balanced, women make up almost three-quarters of our workforce and our LLP membership is 45.5 per cent women, well above the legal sector average of 30 percent.

Michelle Cronin of Thompsons Solicitors

During International Women's Day, people are being encouraged to commit to maintaining a gender parity mindset, challenging stereotypes and bias, forging positive visibility of women, influencing others' beliefs and actions, and celebrating women's achievements in all walks of life.

Michelle Cronin, director of people, finance and infrastructure at Thompsons Solicitors, said: "Yet again, the annual Global Gender Gap Report has highlighted the extent of gender inequality across the world.

"International Women's Day is important on so many levels but particularly for the chance it offers to contrast the positive progress that has been made in recent decades to achieve a better deal for women in and out of work with how much more needs to be done if we are to achieve the goal of gender parity.

"At Thompsons, we are very proud of the fact that our Executive Board is gender-balanced, women make up almost three-quarters of our workforce and our LLP membership is 45.5 per cent women, well above the legal sector average of 30 per cent, but we know that we too have more to do.

“By participating in the #BalanceforBetter campaign, we hope to encourage challenges to bias and stereotypes, to celebrate the success of women and improve the visibility of women in the workplace and society."

Thompsons believes that workers are better protected if they are a trade union member.  Trade unions have led the way in challenging all forms of discrimination and we are proud to have worked with the trade union movement and its members for more than 90 years.