High-profile Canadian lawyer Marie Henein says women face an 鈥渆xtraordinary double standard鈥� on their path to success in the workplace, and calls the type of criticism when they reach their goals 鈥渁stounding.鈥�
鈥淟ook at Hillary Clinton,鈥� Henein said in an interview on BNN on Thursday. 鈥淪he鈥檚 extraordinarily accomplished, but the complaints are that she鈥檚 not relatable. She鈥檚 not cuddly.
鈥淎nd those sorts of complaints suggest to me that (the critics) know nothing about what it takes for a woman to succeed in the way that she has and the way that other women have.鈥�
As one of Canada鈥檚 top criminal defence lawyers, Henein has faced her own share of criticism in the public sphere.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 bother me, it comes late in my career and it鈥檚 neither here nor there to me,鈥� Henein said, adding that, to some extent, the criticism is derived from her line of work.
As a partner at Toronto-based law firm Henein Hutchison LLP, Henein has successfully represented such high-profile clients as ex-broadcaster Jian Ghomeshi, former Ontario Attorney General Michael Bryant and former Nova Scotia premier Gerald Regan.
Henein says that, as a woman, her level of success is 鈥渢oo rare for my liking.鈥� She often sees many women leave law less than 10 years into their careers.
鈥淚 think the problem is that we have done a very bad job of promoting women across the board and giving them the push that they need to stay in this profession and to lead in a variety of professions.鈥�
Henein鈥檚 mother was 鈥渇rustrated鈥� by the limitations imposed on her, she said, explaining why she was taught as a child that she could be herself and do anything she wanted.
