Abstract:
A very few women lawyers have been represented in senior positions even though many women
enrolled in the profession, reflecting a severe problem in women career advancement in the legal
profession of Sri Lanka. In this context, psychological factors such as perceived gender ideology
predicting women’s career advancement have rarely been studied. Hence, this study aims to
investigate the role of perceived gender ideology, and career choice on the career advancement
of women lawyers. Data from a purposive sample of three hundred and sixty women lawyers in
mid and late-career stages representing ten different job categories in the legal profession were
analysed deploying Structural Equation Modeling. It was revealed that women lawyers’ perceived
gender ideology impacts their career advancement, while their career choices mediate the
relationship between perceived gender ideology and career advancement. Further, career choice
has shown no significant impact on career advancement. The study’s findings suggest that the
problem of slow and low women career advancement in the legal profession can be remedied
through perceived gender ideology. It is established that such remedies are by means of improving
appropriate personality traits within women lawyers to meet professional expectations by legal
education and professional institutes. The study recommends legal education institutes to review
and revise the existing law curricula to include relevant courses that guide the careers of future
lawyers. In contrast, professional institutes are recommended to initiate career development
programmes enabling women lawyers to connect with expectations of the profession.
