The table provides a comparison of the percentage of male and female lawyers employed in different industries—private law firms, business, government, and other sectors—in a particular country in 2001 and 2016.
Overall, the government sector consistently employed the highest proportion of both male and female lawyers over the period. However, while private law firms and business sectors saw increased participation, particularly among women, the percentage of lawyers in the “others” category declined significantly for females.
In 2001, 45% of male lawyers and 41% of female lawyers worked in the government sector, making it the most popular field. By 2016, the percentage of men in government roles had dropped slightly to 38%, whereas the figure for women rose modestly to 42%. In private law firms, the proportion of men increased from 15% to 19%, while female representation rose from 17% to 21%, indicating steady growth in this field for both genders.
The business sector exhibited contrasting trends. The percentage of men remained stable at 14% over the 15 years, but the proportion of women experienced a notable rise, doubling from 14% in 2001 to 21% in 2016. Conversely, the “others” category displayed a downward trend for female lawyers, declining sharply from 28% to 16%, while the percentage of men rose slightly from 26% to 29%.