Womens Forum

Coordinator

Ms Joanne Long
Long & Company
Advocates & Solicitors
5 Lorong Kurau
Bangsar
Kuala Lumpur 59100
MALAYSIA
T: 60 3 2287 2388
F: 60 1 2302 6628
E: longnco@pd.jaring.my
 

Women's Law News

"Women In Law" session at the 20th Biennial LAWASIA Conference in Hong Kong.

Background & Overview

A conference to mark the 40th anniversary of LAWASIA was held in October 2006 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Goa. As part of the conference, and in recognition of the growing emergence of women lawyers across Asia and the Pacific, a women’s forum was convened. Around 50 women lawyers from 21 countries attended the forum.

The aim of the forum was to facilitate better sharing of knowledge and issues relevant to women lawyers across countries and cultures. Central to this was an understanding that many of the issues faced by women lawyers were common across jurisdictions. The forum recognised that women lawyers in Asia and the Pacific could do much to assist each other and thereby strengthen the representation of women in the profession.

Initiatives discussed included:

• Work/life balance – how lawyers can balance the often competing demands of work and family. This includes the sharing of information about innovative practices in different jurisdictions, which may assist lawyers in meeting such demands.

• The importance of technology in improving work practices and promoting flexible work environments.

• The need for cultural and attitudinal change to create work and home environments where women professionals can work effectively.

• The requirement for a strong profession to promote the needs of disadvantaged women and children. This included identifying and highlighting issues faced by women and children in different communities with the aim of working together to find solutions.

• To create a network amongst women lawyers to assist each other by providing legal support and assistance to each other.

• The need for all female lawyers across Asia and the Pacific to stand together to create a strong and diverse legal profession in each country.

The forum recognised that it important to develop a mechanism for sharing knowledge. With the assistance of LAWASIA this forum will be a continuing feature of LAWASIA conferences. The forum has decided to start an online discussion group to facilitate networking, the sharing of information and to work towards meeting the initiatives discussed.

ARBITRALWOMEN

A group of professional women from all over the world who are active in arbitration and alternative dispute resolution internationally. The website is about and by ARBITRALWOMEN but is open to everyone both to search for appropriate and qualified dispute resolution practitioners, and to benefit from the ideas and information offered. The group has its origins in 1993 and expanded mainly in the last years. Members of the ARBITRALWOMEN come from all continents and from more than 30 countries.

Visit: www.arbitralwomen.org

Women's Law Articles

• Malaysian Bar Council Press Release - Promote Gender Sensitivity in Parliament by Ambiga Sreenevasan, Chairman Bar Council
• Asian Women fighting Exploitation, Creating a Culture of Peace by Chiang Mai
• Women Lawyers Say it’s Time to Meet the Challenge of Flexible Working contact Georgina Gowland