b'BACK TO NAVIGATIONComparison of Gender Equality PerformanceAusLSA Members Total Legal ServicesAll Professional ServicesAccounting Services Aust IndustryPolicy 91% 84% 83% 74% 75%Targets 64% 48% 42% 39% 32%Female ManagementNot measured63% 47% 49% 49%PromotionsComposition Key Management/General34% 35% 28% 23% 32%Manager Composition Lawyers64% 63% 46% 53% 53%and ProfessionalsGender Pay GapNot measured 10% 17% 8% 16%(professionals)Source: WGEA Data Explorer 2020 AusLSA Member PerformanceOver previous years AusLSA members have made commitments and set new standards to improve the balance of opportunity for both men and women. Our 2020 results indicate that these commitments have become standard in the sector.Ninety four percent of respondents have a gender equity policy, which is up from 91% last year, and remaining firms are implementing diversity and inclusion policies which address many issues in common with gender equality. This year seventy-three percent of firms have decided to publish their gender equality policies signifying an increased level of policy commitment and transparency.For the last three years all reporting firms have continued to allocate the key oversight responsibility for implementing this policy to either a partner, manager or committee. This increased from ninety-seven percent in 2017. There is strong evidence that leaders and leadership teams are taking greater public accountability for their firms performance on pay equity with fifty-seven percent having Managing Partners who were WGEA Pay Equity Ambassadors. This is up from forty nine percent in 2016. However this year there has been a reduction in the number of AusLSA firms that hold the WGEA Employer of Choice for Gender Equality citation,decreasing from a 2019 peak of sixty-nine percent to fifty nine percent this year.Despite these widespread commitments and programs, improvement of gender ratios of law firm partners has shown limited progress. In 2016 when we commenced measuring gender representation of female partners, the ratio sat at 26.4%. This year the level is 30%.This is in comparison to an overall proportion of female lawyers amongst AusLSA members of 58%. While there is progress to be made, these results are consistent with or better than similar professions as reported by WGEA. For example, organisations in the accounting services also have an equal representation of women across their employee base but only 23% percent in key management positions.The slow pace of improvements in gender balance in senior positions can be partially justified by the effect of lags between the growth in female numbers and the building of required experience and seniority for promotion. There is little doubt historical imbalances in equality of opportunity are also a significant factor. Continued commitments to gender equality policies and practices should continue to deliver an improvement in these numbers over time.TARGETS GENDER PROFILE90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%0%Female Female FemaleNon-Legal Staff Legal Staff PartnersYes 75% No 22%Not Reported 3%21'