IWD 2026: Why Intersectionality Matters At The Bar

Brie Stevens Hoare KC argues that building genuinely inclusive chambers and workplaces for the Bar requires an intersectional approach

The Bar of England and Wales likes to see itself as a meritocracy. Talent, hard work and intellectual rigour are meant to determine who thrives. Yet the lived experience of many barristers, and the data produced by the Bar Standards Board, tell a more complicated story. Persistent disparities in income, progression and wellbeing show that merit alone does not explain outcomes at the Bar.

This article argues that building genuinely inclusive chambers and workplaces for the Bar requires an intersectional approach. Intersectionality, a concept developed by Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw, helps us understand how different aspects of identity – such as gender, race, disability, sexuality and socioeconomic background – interact to shape experience. Without that lens, efforts to improve equality at the Bar risk benefiting some while