Linklaters, Allen & Overy and Wragge & Co are among a line-up of nine law firms to have signed up to a Government gender reporting initiative that aims to boost equality in the workplace.

The trio joined the voluntary 'Think, Act, Report' initiative earlier this year, which encourages companies to share best practice and improve transparency on gender equality issues in business.

Six other law firms have already signed up to the scheme: Eversheds was the first firm to sign up in 2011, followed by DWF the same year. Hogan Lovells, DAC Beachcroft, Pinsent Masons and Berwin Leighton Paisner all joined last year.

The initiative, which launched in September 2011, encourages businesses to address gender equa-lity issues related to recruitment, retention, promotion and pay, with organisations identifying areas for improvement and taking action to remedy them.

Those signing up are encouraged to report on the gender make-up of their workforce, including representation at different seniority levels, and any pay gaps between male and female salaries. While there is no requirement to publish pay data, the scheme encourages its member businesses to provide case studies and publish as much as they can. 

Wragges director and former London managing partner Nicola Mumford (pictured) said: "We agreed to join the initiative as, while it reflects what we have done internally, it is a good way of showing what we do externally.

"What I find interesting about the initiative is that it seeks to achieve real change not through dictating what action businesses ought to take, but by encouraging them to take action on their own terms – it's all they ask them to do, which is clever."

Hogan Lovells people development partner and diversity committee co-chair Ruth Grant added: "We signed up to the initiative because we felt it fitted with our overarching approach in increasing focus on gender equality issues. 

"As a reporting mechanism, it is consistent with the way we aim to assess what would be effective in terms of the actions we are taking ourselves. We are keen to share our own experience and, through that, encourage further discussion about how businesses can improve their gender equality."

Tesco, Marks & Spencer, PricewaterhouseCoopers and McDonald's are among other major companies on board the initiative.

Legal Week reported last week that pay levels for female lawyers are still lagging their male counterparts, despite a growing focus by law firms on gender diversity. A new Law Society study, which analysed pay data from 633 individuals working full time in private practice, found that the average salary for a qualified male lawyer of any level stood at £60,000 compared with £44,000 for women.