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Barrister at centre of sexism storm 'overwhelmed' by support Barrister at centre of sexism storm 'overwhelmed' by support
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The barrister at the centre of a sexism storm after she objected to a solicitor’s “unacceptable and misogynist” comments on her LinkedIn profile says she has been “overwhelmed” by emails and tweets from other women reporting similar offensive behaviour in the workplace. The barrister at the centre of a sexism storm after she objected to a solicitor’s “unacceptable and misogynist” comments on her LinkedIn profile says she has been overwhelmed by emails and tweets from other women reporting similar offensive behaviour in the workplace.
After a week in which she has been derided in sections of the media as a “feminazi” and subjected to vicious trolling on social media, Charlotte Proudman said the treatment she had received after protesting about the comments demonstrated the difficulties women can face if they speak out about sexism.After a week in which she has been derided in sections of the media as a “feminazi” and subjected to vicious trolling on social media, Charlotte Proudman said the treatment she had received after protesting about the comments demonstrated the difficulties women can face if they speak out about sexism.
“It prevents women from taking a stand, making a change,” she told BBC Women’s Hour. “We know that sexism exists ... now I think it’s important that we collectively call this out, men and women supporting each other.” “It prevents women from taking a stand, making a change,” she told BBC Woman’s Hour. “We know that sexism exists ... now I think it’s important that we collectively call this out, men and women supporting each other.”
Proudman, a human rights barrister who specialises in sexual violence, came to public attention earlier this week after Alexander Carter-Silk, a senior partner at a leading solicitor’s firm, wrote her a message on the professional networking site saying: “I appreciate that this is probably horrendously politically incorrect but that is a stunning picture! You definitely win the prize for the best LinkedIn picture I have ever seen.”Proudman, a human rights barrister who specialises in sexual violence, came to public attention earlier this week after Alexander Carter-Silk, a senior partner at a leading solicitor’s firm, wrote her a message on the professional networking site saying: “I appreciate that this is probably horrendously politically incorrect but that is a stunning picture! You definitely win the prize for the best LinkedIn picture I have ever seen.”
The barrister sent him a pointed reply — “I find your message offensive. I am on LinkedIn for business purposes not to be approached about my physical appearance or to be objectified by sexist men” — and the posted the entire exchange on Twitter, before requesting a public apology. The barrister sent him a pointed reply: “I find your message offensive. I am on LinkedIn for business purposes not to be approached about my physical appearance or to be objectified by sexist men.” She then posted the entire exchange on Twitter, before requesting a public apology.
It led to a storm of deeply misogynistic comments on her social media page and a journalistic monstering in the tabloid press, in which she was berated as a “man-hating feminazi” who “ogled men online”. A partner at one of the UK’s largest criminal law firms said she had committed “career suicide” by daring to complain about the comments.It led to a storm of deeply misogynistic comments on her social media page and a journalistic monstering in the tabloid press, in which she was berated as a “man-hating feminazi” who “ogled men online”. A partner at one of the UK’s largest criminal law firms said she had committed “career suicide” by daring to complain about the comments.
In a statement, Carter-Silk said his comment had been “aimed at the professional quality of [her] presentation on LinkedIn, which was unfortunately misinterpreted”.In a statement, Carter-Silk said his comment had been “aimed at the professional quality of [her] presentation on LinkedIn, which was unfortunately misinterpreted”.
If that had been the case, responded Proudman, “surely ... one would expect him to be a little bit clearer in the purpose of the message. Certainly that would not be ‘horrendously politically incorrect’.”If that had been the case, responded Proudman, “surely ... one would expect him to be a little bit clearer in the purpose of the message. Certainly that would not be ‘horrendously politically incorrect’.”
She said she was worried about the controversy damaging her career, calling the backlash she had experienced a “silencing mechanism”.She said she was worried about the controversy damaging her career, calling the backlash she had experienced a “silencing mechanism”.
“It prevents people coming forward and reporting sexism and even sexual harassment.” “It prevents people coming forward and reporting sexism and even sexual harassment,” she said.
Proudman was praised by Polly Sprenger, a barrister specialising in corporate and economic crime, who said: “It’s a brave and principled barrister who is prepared to put her personal position on the line to defend her opinion. It is not easy at the bar to take on a senior partner at a law firm who might have instructed you.Proudman was praised by Polly Sprenger, a barrister specialising in corporate and economic crime, who said: “It’s a brave and principled barrister who is prepared to put her personal position on the line to defend her opinion. It is not easy at the bar to take on a senior partner at a law firm who might have instructed you.
“The bar is a slow-moving aircraft carrier of a profession, and it is difficult to turn it around. She does everyone a favour by standing up to the kind of people who think that behaviour is acceptable.”“The bar is a slow-moving aircraft carrier of a profession, and it is difficult to turn it around. She does everyone a favour by standing up to the kind of people who think that behaviour is acceptable.”
A report published by the bar council in July examining the experience of self-employed female barristers found that “experiences of inappropriate behaviour within the profession continue to exist”. A report published by the bar council in July, examining the experience of self-employed female barristers, found that “experiences of inappropriate behaviour within the profession continue to exist”.
“I think that too many men at the bar feel they are existing in a children’s playground,” one woman told the researchers. “They think they can say grossly disrespectful things because nobody is going to stop them and nothing is going to be said about it.”“I think that too many men at the bar feel they are existing in a children’s playground,” one woman told the researchers. “They think they can say grossly disrespectful things because nobody is going to stop them and nothing is going to be said about it.”
A number of contributors to the report said that when they had secured high-profile cases, comments had been made suggesting they were sleeping with the instructing solicitor.A number of contributors to the report said that when they had secured high-profile cases, comments had been made suggesting they were sleeping with the instructing solicitor.
A spokesperson for the bar council said it was committed to ensuring the bar was “a place where all men and women of talent and ability will want to work”, adding “sexism in the workplace has no place at the modern bar. The bar council’s equality and diversity team is vigilant on harassment and discrimination and provides best practice guidance to chambers to tackle sexism.”A spokesperson for the bar council said it was committed to ensuring the bar was “a place where all men and women of talent and ability will want to work”, adding “sexism in the workplace has no place at the modern bar. The bar council’s equality and diversity team is vigilant on harassment and discrimination and provides best practice guidance to chambers to tackle sexism.”
But Laura Bates, founder of the Everyday Sexism campaign, said an “amazing” number of women from the legal profession had contacted her since the story broke “to say just how much they face and experience, and how difficult it can be to speak out about, more minor things”. But Laura Bates, founder of the Everyday Sexism project, said an amazing number of women from the legal profession had contacted her since the story broke “to say just how much they face and experience, and how difficult it can be to speak out about more minor things”.
Workplace harassment, she said, “is the most reported kind of incident to Everyday Sexism, which I think is quite shocking when you think how common street harassment is”.Workplace harassment, she said, “is the most reported kind of incident to Everyday Sexism, which I think is quite shocking when you think how common street harassment is”.
Women had complained of harassment ranging from being groped in the office and told to sit on their bosses’ laps if they wanted a Christmas bonus, to being forced to overhear male colleagues ranking new female recruits based on their sexual attractiveness. Clearly, she stressed, this was not a problem limited to the legal profession.Women had complained of harassment ranging from being groped in the office and told to sit on their bosses’ laps if they wanted a Christmas bonus, to being forced to overhear male colleagues ranking new female recruits based on their sexual attractiveness. Clearly, she stressed, this was not a problem limited to the legal profession.
One woman told the Guardian how when she had worked in the City after completing a masters degree she had received “a daily barrage of sexist comments... ranging from ‘Can I drink your piss?’ to ‘That’s a nice dress, but it would look better on my bedroom floor.’ The brokers would be on swinging websites, emailing each other porno clips. One woman told the Guardian that when she had worked in the City after completing a master’s degree she had received “a daily barrage of sexist comments ... ranging from ‘Can I drink your piss?’ to ‘That’s a nice dress, but it would look better on my bedroom floor’. The brokers would be on swinging websites, emailing each other porno clips.
“At the time I thought it was normal and I just put up with it for fear of losing my job, but now I know it wasn’t normal and I should have had the courage to stand up and complain.”“At the time I thought it was normal and I just put up with it for fear of losing my job, but now I know it wasn’t normal and I should have had the courage to stand up and complain.”