The table presents the changes in the proportion of male and female lawyers choosing employment in different sectors in a particular country between 2001 and 2016.
Overall, government positions remained the most popular choice for both genders throughout the period, whereas private practice was consistently the least favored, although it showed a modest increase over the 15 years. Notably, the proportion of women entering business saw a marked rise, eventually surpassing that of men by 2016.
In 2001, 45% of male lawyers and 41% of female lawyers worked in government, compared with 15% of men and 17% of women in private practice. Over the following years, government employment declined slightly among men to 38%, while it rose for women to 42%. Meanwhile, the share of lawyers in business remained stable for men at 14%, whereas female participation increased significantly from 14% to 21%. Other sectors experienced minor fluctuations, with male representation increasing marginally from 26% to 29%, and female representation falling from 28% to 16%.
In summary, the data indicate a gradual diversification of career choices, with women increasingly moving into the private and business sectors, while government roles continue to attract a significant proportion of male lawyers.