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An uneven playing field: Experiences of female legal practitioners in Zimbabwe

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  • Farai Maunganidze
  • Debby Bonnin

Abstract

This article focuses on women legal practitioners in Zimbabwe. Despite extensive legislation outlawing gender‐based discrimination, Zimbabwean women have not been able to achieve equality in the workplace. The article explores the conundrum posed by, on the one hand, an increase in enrollments and graduations of women law students, and on the other hand, fewer women entering legal practice. The article suggests three dynamics lie behind the failure of practice to attract and retain female lawyers. First, overt discrimination faced by female lawyers. Second, the structuring of the profession and work environment, which creates an “uneven playing field.” And third, the attitudes of male practitioners and partners as well as the spouses of women lawyers, which affect the entry and retention of women in the profession as well as their career prospects. Subsequently, women legal practitioners are accorded a lower professional status than men and are underrepresented in important facets of legal practice. The study was premised on social role theory and the concept of the glass ceiling. Forty‐six participants were interviewed in an interpretivist approach study where data was analyzed using thematic analysis with the assistance of ATLAS TI 8.

Suggested Citation

  • Farai Maunganidze & Debby Bonnin, 2021. "An uneven playing field: Experiences of female legal practitioners in Zimbabwe," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(1), pages 155-174, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:gender:v:28:y:2021:i:1:p:155-174
    DOI: 10.1111/gwao.12535
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bekezela Moyo & Edinah Moyo, 2017. "SMEs Management Practices in a Hostile Business Environment in Zimbabwe," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation, Macrothink Institute, Journal of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation, vol. 4(1), pages 1324-1324, December.
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    4. Shoba Arun & Thankom Arun & Vani Borooah, 2004. "The Effect Of Career Breaks On The Working Lives Of Women," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(1), pages 65-84.
    5. Judith K. Pringle & Candice Harris & Katherine Ravenswood & Lynne Giddings & Irene Ryan & Sabina Jaeger, 2017. "Women's Career Progression in Law Firms: Views from the Top, Views From Below," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(4), pages 435-449, July.
    6. Packard, Mark D., 2017. "Where did interpretivism go in the theory of entrepreneurship?," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 536-549.
    7. Aviad E. Raz & Gavan Tzruya, 2018. "Doing gender in segregated and assimilative organizations: Ultra†Orthodox Jewish women in the Israeli high†tech labour market," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(4), pages 361-378, July.
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