A new report by the International Bar Association (IBA) into gender parity in Canada's legal profession has found that women comprise a slight majority, accounting for 53 per cent of lawyers overall and 51 per cent of senior lawyers and partners among participating organisations. Despite this, the report's foreword notes that many women consulted 'continue to experience gender-based and sexual harassment in the workplace' and 'do not feel seen as equals to their male colleagues.'
The Raising the Bar: Women in Law Project - Canada results report is the 16th study released by the IBA Legal Policy & Research Unit (LPRU) as part of its global project on gender parity in the legal profession. The report was produced in collaboration with the Canadian Bar Association and the Federation of Law Societies of Canada , with support from the IBA Diversity and Inclusion Council .
Key findings include:
- women comprise 60 per cent of lawyers in the public and in-house sectors, a figure that remains constant at the senior level;
- women make up only 43 per cent of lawyers in private firms, dropping to 35 per cent at the senior level and only 36 per cent in board or committee positions;
- women represent 48 per cent of judicial officers in Canada; and
- 93 per cent of law firms, corporations and public sector organisations monitor gender representation in their workplaces generally and at a senior level.
The report also highlights a significant milestone for the Canadian judiciary. As of late 2023, women held a majority on the Supreme Court of Canada for the first time, with five of the Court's nine justices being women.
Louis-Martin Beaumont, President of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, commented: 'The achievement of a female majority on the Supreme Court of Canada is a powerful symbol of what is possible, but we cannot let that success mask the persistent challenges at the street level of practice. We are seeing a historic demographic shift, yet our workplace models remain stubbornly anchored in the past. This report is a timely intervention against complacency. The gap between the diversity of our bench and the remaining barriers in law firms and organisations reveals a profession in transition. Our goal is a system of justice that accurately reflects the population it serves, not just at its apex, but in every courtroom, boardroom and legal office across the country.'
Additional findings from the report:
- the survey data covers approximately eight per cent of Canada's practising legal profession, representing 8,762 lawyers, excluding the judiciary;
- more than 1,500 women lawyers in Canada participated in the Project's Phase 2 survey, examining the lived experiences of women in the profession;
- national regulator statistics show that women account for 49 per cent of all practising lawyers in Canada, with 55,667 women and 57,747 men, demonstrating how close the profession is to overall parity nationally;
- in Quebec, women represented 57 per cent of lawyers and notaries as of September 2024, reflecting an ongoing demographic shift in the profession; and
- the report notes that younger cohorts of lawyers are increasingly female, while gender disparities become more pronounced with seniority and years of call.
Workplace initiatives
Respondent organisations were asked to provide details of the initiatives in place within their workplace to address gender disparity. Mentoring and unconscious bias training and coaching were ranked as the most popular; flexible working followed closely in terms of popularity and was also identified as the most impactful. While the setting of quotas and targets was the least popular, it was rated as the most effective by the organisations that employ this initiative.
A profession in transition
The report notes that Canada compares favourably with many jurisdictions examined through the Raising the Bar project. However, it concludes that sustained efforts remain necessary to ensure women are equally represented at senior levels and that workplace cultures enable long-term retention and progression.
Next phases of the Project
On 12 March 2026, marking International Women's Day, the IBA launched the Raising the Bar: Women in Law Project - Phase 2 Report at an event in London, presenting findings from a global survey of 5,000 women lawyers from 100 jurisdictions across all sectors of the profession. The Phase 2 Report highlights the individual experiences of women in the profession, including obstacles to practice, reasons for leaving or thinking of leaving the profession, opinions on workplace initiatives and their efficacy and the impact of life outside work on women's careers.
The report identified persistent structural barriers to leadership, widespread burnout and ongoing gender inequality despite growing awareness and workplace initiatives. Flexible working, mentoring and workplace culture emerged as key factors influencing retention and career progression.
Further country studies are underway, with findings from India and Singapore expected later this year.
