While women represent 58.8% of lawyers in France, they account for only around 30% of partners in arbitration and fewer than one-third of arbitrators. Institutions participate in their appointments at a rate of 46%, whereas parties designate them only 19–21% of the time. These figures illustrate the persistent challenges regarding gender parity in the profession.

As part of Paris Arbitration Week, the Association Femmes & Droit, in collaboration with ArbitralWomen, had the pleasure of organizing a panel dedicated to the challenges faced by women lawyers and arbitrators on Thursday, 26 March.

Four main themes were addressed:

  • Persistent challenges for women lawyers: access to partnership, visibility, pay gaps, and the impact of parenthood;
  • Often similar challenges for women arbitrators, particularly regarding appointments by parties and access to presiding roles;
  • Proposed solutions: awareness through education, engagement by institutions and law firms, and collective initiatives;
  • The potential role of artificial intelligence in improving visibility, reducing certain biases, and expanding pools of candidates for appointment.

The session was moderated by Caroline Duclercq, Vice-President of the Association Femmes & Droit and partner at Medici, alongside Anne-Laure-Hélène des Ylouses, Treasurer of Femmes & Droit, Karolina Rozycka, member of ArbitralWomen, Martha Alexiou, and Cherine Foty, Board Member of ArbitralWomen.

We also had the opportunity to continue the discussion through an interactive exchange with the audience, which helped further explore possible solutions and share practical feedback.

Many thanks to all the speakers and participants for the quality of the discussions.

Those interested may join the Femmes & Droit and ArbitralWomen associations and follow our upcoming initiatives using the links below: