b'BACK TO NAVIGATIONThe focus of policy and practice in this area has also shifted from anti-discrimination and legal compliance to strategic inclusion initiatives and sustainable culture change. Law firms need to broaden their approach by understanding the efficacy of a successful LGBTIQ+ inclusion strategy.At Law FirmsAustralian legal firms were early engagers in LGBTIQ+ specific inclusion initiatives within their workplaces and this is reflected in a generally positive analysis from the AWEI in 2021. The survey provides detailed insights into progress and performance relative to other industry sectors.Overall, law firms reported being performing relatively well in promoting the true inclusion of their LGBTIQ+ employees, their allies, and the wider workforce. The legal sectors activity and achievements are also generally stronger than the national survey cohort.Leading practice in this area of inclusion includes: targeted measures to combat the underreporting of LGBTIQ+ bullying and harassment the tracking and analysis of LGBTIQ+ bullying and harassment reportsensuring any internal or external counselling or Employee Assistance Programs understand the challenges faced by LGBTIQ+ people in the workplaceadditional tailored support for transgender, gender diverse, and intersex employeescollecting lifelong data for LGBTIQ+ employees comparing engagement, pay, retention, promotions, and exitsThe sectors participation in the AWEI program however was significantly skewed to those working in NSW and Victoria and heavily weighted to metropolitan locations. Response rates were lower in the smaller states, especially Western and South Australia. This is a worrying indication that some states and regional areas may be lagging behind the industry standards in LGBTIQ+ inclusion.There are some exceptions where the legal sector performed less well including employees level of preparedness to be out to everyone at work, which has experienced a continuing decline and as well as the effectiveness of law firms in attracting and retaining gender diverse talent to their teams.INITIATIVES Membership - Out for Australia 8% Midsumma 19% Pride March 22% Trans Awareness Week 25% World Aids Day 36% Mardi Gras 36% InterFirm events 39% Gender affirmation policy 42% External LGBTI programs hosting 44% AWEI survey 44% Membership - Pride in Diversity 58% Pro bono support 67% Gender pronouns promotion 69% IDAHOBIT 72% Internal LGBTI networks orcommittees 75% Training - LGBTI awareness 78% Wear it Purple Day 89%Participation 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%33'