A new study by the Bar of Ireland has found that two out of three female barristers have experienced sexism at work.

A third believe that a colleague or senior member of the profession has had a negative effect on their career.

The Irish Times reported that one barrister was “written off by many solicitors” as soon as she took maternity leave.

Another said that male clients “don’t want female counsel as it would be seen as weak to be defended by a woman”.

Caroline McEnery, managing director of the HR Consultants HR Suite, said that employers have a duty to ensure sexism is unacceptable.

“It’s difficult sometimes to say ‘Stop, actually I find that offensive’ or ‘Stop, that’s not appropriate’,” she said.

“But I think, from an organisational perspective, the culture and the core values of the organisation can really proactively embed that into the culture of the organisation.”