To celebrate International Women’s Day 2023, Careers in Arbitration, founded by ArbitralWomen Advisory Council Member Amanda Lee, launched its fourth annual International Women’s Day campaign. Launched in 2019, Careers in Arbitration is a social media-based platform that promotes diversity in arbitration by sharing information about opportunities in the field of arbitration with a global audience. The platform is followed by more than 50,000 people. This year, Careers in Arbitration focused on the career journeys of in-house counsel from a wide range of different industries and geographical locations, including women working in-house in academia, commodities, energy, food and beverages, healthcare, maritime insurance, mining, oil and gas, retail, shipping, and transportation, in addition to those serving as general counsel for arbitral institutions and chambers. The campaign featured former ArbitralWomen Board member Alison Pearsall and ArbitralWomen members Patrycja Kolwas, Carola Rojas, and Nancy M. Thevenin, together with Müge Anber-Kontakis, Marina Baher Gaballah, Neval Berdibek, Nadya Berova, Gwendoline Brooker, Adwoa Ghartey-Tagoe Seymour, Claudia P. Gutiérrez Roca, Elizabeth Hincapié Hincapié, Sharon Lee-Thibault, Daniela Molina Trujillo, Cecilia Ndeti, Josephine Renee Osiro, Raven Schofield, Laura Starr, and Izabella Vergara-Arenas. The posts are available on LinkedIn and will be featured on Careers in Arbitration’s website in the future. Search for the hashtag #CiAEquity to read the participants’ professional stories, discover how they embrace equity in their respective roles, benefit from their top tips for an in-house career in arbitration, and learn who inspires them. Submitted by ArbitralWomen Advisory Board member Amanda J. Lee, Founder of Careers in Arbitration

ArbitralWomen members are encouraged to participate in a new study on diversity and inclusion in alternative dispute resolution being conducted by the London Chamber of Arbitration and Mediation (LCAM) and Royal Holloway, University of London. The objective of the survey is to investigate the current levels of diversity and inclusion in the ADR industry. To do so, the organisers will be asking ADR professionals to answer questions about their background and how often they have been appointed as an arbitrator, mediator, or another role in ADR. The questions will address not only the person’s role in ADR, but also more personal questions related to inclusion and diversity such as race, gender, education, and socio-economic background. By analysing a broad range of factors, the organisers intend to assess the status of diversity amongst ADR professionals. Notably, the organisers are attempting to evaluate if there is a diversity gap amongst ADR professionals and, if there is a gap, in which type of ADR procedure diversity is lacking. ArbitralWomen members who are arbitrators, mediators, adjudicators, expert witnesses, and other professionals in ADR are encouraged to answer questions about their appointments, race, gender, education, and social-economic background. It is notable that socio-economic background is canvassed in this study, which has to date been surprisingly absent from much of the debate around diversity. The survey is available here. Submitted by Farad Asghari, Manager, London Chamber of Arbitration and Mediation (LCAM)

In March 2023, the Young ArbitralWomen Practitioners' group will launch the “YAWP Meet the Arbitral Institution” series, an initiative to benefit its young female members who wish to further their careers as arbitrators in international arbitration. Several arbitral institutions are in a position to make arbitrator appointments and are actively looking for young female arbitrators to further improve their diversity scorecards. YAWP benefits from a vibrant and diverse membership with women from varying legal and linguistic backgrounds who would make excellent arbitrators. The aim of the series is thus to connect YAWP’s dynamic female membership with the institutions. As part of the Meet the Arbitral Institution series, representatives of different arbitral institutions worldwide will share the following:

• the process to be considered for an appointment with the concerned institution;
• what skills and qualifications the institution is looking for in an arbitrator; and
• how to make one’s profile stand out vis-à-vis the concerned institution.

Participating institutions include SIAC, ICSID, HKIAC, Swiss Arbitration Centre, LCIA, SCC, Finnish Arbitration Institution, PCA, the Vancouver International Arbitration Centre, JAMS, the Madrid International Arbitration Centre, KCAB International, CAM-CCBC, the International Arbitration and Mediation Centre (Hyderabad), the BAIAC, the CPR, Vienna International Arbitration Centre, Delos, TIArb, the Silicon Valley Arbitration & Mediation Centre, IAMCH, CIETAC Hong Kong Arbitration Centre, Thailand Arbitration Centre, Asian International Arbitration Centre, DIS, CEPANI, Milan Chamber of Arbitration, Dubai International Arbitration Centre, IAMCH, Cayman International Mediation and Arbitration Centre, Georgian International Arbitration Centre, Tashkent International Arbitration Centre, CAM (Brasil), WIPO (and counting). How each session will run Each session will last for approx. 60 minutes and include a Q&A session with the participants at the end. It will involve a representative of the arbitral institution who will be interviewed by a YAWP member. The sessions will be held online. Participant selection process Each session will only be open to a pre-selected group of approximately 20-30 YAWP members, who have been selected based on their experience, legal and linguistic background, geographical location and motivation. The application process is expected to open in February 2023. For more details and information, follow YAWP and ArbitralWomen on LinkedIn. The series is only open to paid-up ArbitralWomen members. Questions/queries If you are affiliated with an arbitral institution that is not yet part of the series and would like to join or have any other questions, then please reach out to Dilber Devitre (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or Olga Sendetska (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

On 15 December 2022, Mute Off Thursdays released the first edition of its Compendium of Unicorns – A Global Guide to Women Arbitrators, profiling more than 170 women arbitrators from around the globe, with diverse professional, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, industry and geographical focus, and procedural and substantive skills. The project was led by ArbitralWomen member Ema Vidak Gojković (Independent Arbitrator & Counsel, Vidak Arbitration) and former ArbitralWomen Board member Elena Gutierrez García de Cortázar (Partner, MGC Arbitration).  The Compendium was compiled in response to the continued significant underrepresentation of women on arbitral tribunals. The large number of women included in the Compendium demonstrates that there are many highly qualified women arbitrators. The Compendium is anticipated to serve as a valuable resource for parties, counsel and institutions committed to gender equity in the appointment of arbitrators. The Compendium is user-friendly, with several categories such as experience (number of cases handled), industry and geographical focus, procedural experience, and familiarity with substantive laws. The Compendium also includes the completed arbitrator questionnaires of all the women. You can download an electronic copy of the Compendium here. Additionally, thanks to the generosity of Global Arbitration Review (GAR) and Burford Capital, 1,500 copies of the Compendium will be published in hard copy and distributed. While the inaugural Compendium includes more than 170 women, it does not purport to be comprehensive. Mute Off Thursdays recognises that there are many more qualified women arbitrators than appear in the inaugural edition of the Compendium, and encourages women who wish to be featured in future editions to contact the current Mute Off Thursdays’ co-chairs: Elena Gutierrez García de Cortázar, Shreya Aren, Jennifer Bryant and Lindsay Gastrell. Mute Off Thursdays is a group which gathers more than 600 senior women in arbitration. It was established in March 2020 by Ema Vidak Gojkovic, Gaëlle Filhol, Claire Morel de Westgaver and Catherine Anne Kunz to help women stay connected during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has since grown into an initiative with goals that have outlasted the pandemic. Mute Off Thursdays’ core activity is a weekly 30-minute Zoom meeting on Thursdays, during which women deliver short, fifteen-minute presentations on an arbitration-related issue. In 2020, Mute Off Thursdays won the ERA Pledge GAR Award for the best diversity initiative of the year. Submitted by former ArbitralWomen President and current ArbitralWomen Advisory Council member Dana MacGrath

The Scottish Arbitration Centre has always had a focus on diversity and inclusion. We have gender parity on our Board and more women than men sit on our new Court, which has a female President – Lady Wolffe KC. We have also always welcomed staff from other countries and different backgrounds. We have now enshrined in our new Rules the need for those appointing arbitrators to have regard to the Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge and objectives of R.E.A.L. (Real Equality for Arbitration Lawyers). Article 8 of the Scottish Arbitration Centre’s 2022 Rules of Arbitration, entitled “Appointment of Tribunal – Equality, Diversity and Neutrality,” contains an express reference to the Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge and R.E.A.L. (Racial Equality for Arbitration Lawyers). The provision reads: “8.1 In proposing or appointing any arbitrator under the Rules, the parties, their counsel, any appointed arbitrator and the Centre shall have regard to the Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge and R.E.A.L. (Racial Equality for Arbitration Lawyers).” We are not aware of other arbitration rules with such provision, so adopting our Rules will assist parties looking to increase diversity and equality. Of course, we also hope that our stance will encourage other arbitral institutions to amend their rules to include such provisions. Encouraging diversity and inclusion in arbitration is not just about ensuring representation for different communities but about enriching the quality of arbitrations and choices for parties wishing to engage in arbitration. Increasing representation for women in arbitration is an important part for that aspiration. We might have only launched our Rules and related administrative services, but the Scottish Arbitration Centre wants to be at be considered professional and progressive from the start. Submitted by Andrew Mackenzie, Chief Executive of the Scottish Arbitration Centre

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has appointed a renewed Commission on Arbitration and ADR featuring record regional and gender diversity. The ICC Commission is now led by Melanie van Leeuwen who serves as Chair of the Commission. ArbitralWomen members Sapna Jhangiani KC and Helen Tang have been appointed as Vice-Chairs of the Commission. Other female newly appointed Vice-Chairs include Payel Chatterjee, Evelyne Memphil, Aisha Nadar, and Debora Visconte. They join current Vice-Chairs, ArbitralWomen member Caline Mouawad as well as Susanne Gropp-Stadler. ArbitralWomen member Chiann Bao co-chairs the ICC Task Force on Arbitration and ADR, Katherine Ramo co-chairs the ICC Task Force on Disability Inclusion in International Arbitration, and Sophie Nappert co-chairs the ICC Task Force Addressing Issues of Corruption in International Arbitration. Several ArbitralWomen members have also been appointed or renewed as Delegates to the newly revamped ICC Commission including ArbitralWomen Board members, Maria Beatriz Burghetto, Sally El Sawah, Cherine Foty, Nata Ghibradze, Sara Koleilat-Aranjo, Alina Leoveanu, Mary Thomson, Louise Woods and ArbitralWomen members Pascale Accaoui Lorfing, Laurie Achtouk-Spivak, Gabriela Alvarez Avila, Sylvie Bebohi Ebongo, Julie Bedard, Cecilia Carrara, Tina Cicchietti, Stephanie Cohen, Olivia de Patoul, Diana Droulers, Elodie Dulac, Carine Dupeyron, Cecilia Flores Rueda, Anna Guillard Sazhko, Samaa Haridi, Maria Hauser-Morel, Emily Hay, Christina Hioureas, Andrea Hulbert, Iuliana Iancu, Amani Khalifa, Yasmine Lahlou, Christine Lecuyer-Thieffry, Lucy Martinez, Montserrat Manzano, Cristina Martinetti, Susan Munro, Diana Paraguacuto-Maheo, Marily Paralika, Alison Pearsal, Olena Perepelynska, Victoria Pernt, Patricia Peterson, Luminita Popa, Ina Popova, Lucia Raimanova, Adedoyin Rhodes-Vivour, Patricia Saiz, Sharapak Saleh, Patricia Shaughnessy, Erica Stein, Vanina Sucharitkul, Edna Sussman, Nancy Thevenin, Marieke Van Hooijdonk, Janet Walker, Candan Yasan Tepetas, and Galina Zukova, amongst many other women. Delegates of ICC National Committees now include 36% women, compared to 30% initially. Of the new appointees, 42% were women. At the presentation of the renewed Commission in Miami, Florida on 29 October 2022, Commission Secretary Dr. Hélène van Lith said: “After many months of extensive efforts with our 90+ National Committees, today our renewed membership reflects a better geographical representation with the inclusion of Delegates from emerging jurisdictions and important progress has been made towards gender diversity, professional diversity and corporate engagement. We are fortunate that some of the finest legal minds active in international dispute resolution have joined the Steering Committee as new Vice Chairs, which will ensure that the Commission is ready for its next century”. The ICC Commission is comprised of in-house counsel, corporate representatives, academics, practicing lawyers, arbitrators, and mediators.  Its mission is to gather expertise on arbitration and ADR across the ICC network to enable thought leadership, in line with the strategic objectives of ICC Dispute Resolution Services.  In fulfilling its mission, the Commission produces reports and recommendations to foster understanding and raise awareness of practical, procedural and legal issues in international arbitration and ADR.  The Commission provides input on proposed modifications of dispute resolution rules applied in ICC DRS.  The Commission’s work and initiatives are usually undertaken by specific Task Forces or Working Groups. Submitted by ArbitralWomen News Director Cherine Foty with thanks to Dr. Hélène van Lith for the statistical and membership information