The International Bar Association (IBA), the global voice of the legal profession, has been honoured at the 2026 Women in Law Justitia Awards for its work to advance gender equality and diversity across the global legal profession.
Specifically, the 'Special Prize − Organization' was bestowed for the IBA's Raising the Bar: Women in Law initiative - a global research and action programme examining women's representation, career progression and access to leadership across the legal profession. The initiative was recognised for its contribution to identifying the barriers affecting women's careers and developing practical recommendations for legal workplaces, bar associations and individuals.
Sara Carnegie, Director of the IBA Legal Policy & Research Unit (LPRU), whose team has supported the initiative since its launch, accepted the award at the ceremony in Vienna, held as part of the Women in Law Conference 2026 . She said:
'I am delighted to accept the "Special Prize" on behalf of the IBA and everyone who has contributed to the Raising the Bar Women in Law project. It is much appreciated that Justitia Awards usually honour an individual and that an exception has been made to recognise the IBA's work using evidence and the experiences of women across the legal profession to identify where change is needed and, importantly, to help turn that evidence into action. Although there remains a lot of work to do to achieve genuine equality in legal careers, this recognition helps maintain momentum for that work.'
Carnegie was also a participating speaker on the first day of the Women in Law Conference 2026 at the session ' Facing the Backlash: Defending Women's Rights in a Time of Setback ', which included discussions on the backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the United States and the global implications of this.
Recognising progress towards a more inclusive profession
The Justitia Awards honour 'outstanding women in the legal profession who have made significant contributions to the legal world, leading to an increase in gender equality and diversity.'
Evidence of the barriers facing women in law
Launched in 2021, the Raising the Bar: Women in Law project brings together global data and the experiences of women working across private practice, in-house roles, the public sector and the judiciary, with a particular focus on leadership and senior positions.
Phase 1 of the project examined the representation of senior women across 16 jurisdictions, providing comparative evidence of the gender gap at the upper levels of the legal profession.
Phase 2 broadened the research to the individual experiences of women working in law in more than 100 countries. It explored the barriers women have encountered, their reasons for staying in or leaving the profession and the factors that enable women to develop and thrive in their legal careers.
The findings resulted in six recommendations designed to support meaningful change across legal workplaces and the wider profession. See page seven of the Phase 2 report here .
Turning research into action
The initiative is also focused on implementation. Twelve IBA committees across its divisions are supporting work to put the recommendations into practice, helping to translate the research findings into initiatives that can contribute to greater equality and diversity within the profession.
Recognising progress towards a more inclusive profession
Deborah Enix-Ross, IBA Secretary-General and a senior advisor at Debevoise & Plimpton, commented: 'The Justitia Awards' recognition of the IBA reflects the importance of this combination of global research, lived experience and practical action in addressing persistent barriers to women's progression in law. The IBA is honoured that this work has been recognised alongside esteemed colleagues whose outstanding leadership, courage and dedication to justice, equality and the rule of law were also celebrated at this year's awards. The IBA congratulates all fellow award winners.'
