Gender discrimination within law firms is rife, but why are female lawyers afraid to speak up? Alice Seton talks a group of women who have experienced it first-hand

In her new book of feminist advice for women in the workplace, Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer of Facebook and the first woman on the social networking giant’s board, acknowledges what many are afraid to admit publicly: “Women face real obstacles in the professional world, including blatant and subtle sexism, discrimination and sexual harassment.”