The table illustrates the percentage of male and female lawyers employed in various sectors in a country from 2001 to 2016.
Overall, the government sector remained the primary employer for both genders during the entire period. Additionally, while the gender gap was narrow in 2001, it widened significantly by 2016, with female lawyers surpassing their male counterparts in the three key sectors: private practice, business, and government.
In 2001, the government sector hired the highest proportion of lawyers, with 45% of men and 41% of women working in this field. Business was the only sector where the employment rates for both genders were equal, at 14% each. Meanwhile, women slightly outnumbered men in private practice (17% vs. 15%) and other fields (28% vs. 26%).
By 2016, the percentage of female lawyers in private practice and business had risen to 21% each, whereas the figures for men remained lower (19% and 14%, respectively). In the government sector, the proportion of women increased slightly to 42%, exceeding that of men, which saw a sharp decline to 38%. Conversely, the percentage of women in other fields halved, dropping to 13%, while men experienced a marginal increase to 29%.