Women in Tax Leaders Survey 2021
As part of our commitment to expanding our coverage and learning more about the markets we cover, we present the Women in Tax Leaders Survey. We invited all the currently ranked practitioners in the Women in Tax Leaders guide to take part in a survey and provide feedback on their experiences working as a woman in the tax industry. This poll takes in views from jurisdictions all over the planet and helps to build a picture of the current situation for women in tax.
Hidden voices
As part of our Women in Tax Leaders survey, we asked participants to provide anonymous feedback on some of the specific challenges they faced as a woman working in the tax industry. The responses came in from all over the world and show there are both shared experiences in every jurisdiction and unique challenges in many different places. Below is a selection of the different messages we received.
"Gender equality has, rightly so, been a focus for a number of years. But I would not want young talented men to be put off by that focus and feel that they do not have an equal shot at the opportunities available to them. Equal rights should mean just that - equal. There is still a perception of 'the angry woman'. Rather than determine why that perception exists, it can be promulgated and take on a life of its own when not checked. That is a disservice to all women."
"Once my client said that such a pretty girl should go to dates rather than consult on tax issues. It was said just after our introduction, without any knowledge of my professional skills."
"I completed all my partnership assessments prior to going on maternity leave and passed them all. I came back from maternity leave on a four-days-per-week basis and was told that times had changed, and since I had won no significant business over the 12 months I was on maternity leave, I would have to wait a further year to build back up enough business to qualify again for partnership."