Global Efforts to Empower Women in Intellectual Property Celebrated on International Women’s Day

On March 8 every year, International Women's Day commemorates the significant contributions of women to the field of Intellectual Property (IP) worldwide. This annual event brings together various IP offices to honor women’s roles in the system and highlight initiatives aiming to promote inclusivity.

This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is “Invest in women: Accelerate progress”, emphasizing the importance of supporting and empowering women and girls across all sectors of society to actively participate in the innovation and creative economy.

Reports indicate a notable underrepresentation of women within the IP ecosystem, prompting participating offices to pledge their commitment to breaking barriers and introducing more women to the IP domain.

Kathi Vidal, the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), emphasized the pivotal role women play in unlocking untapped innovative and economic potential globally.

Vidal reiterated that by removing obstacles and providing more opportunities for women in the IP landscape, not only does the economy flourish, but communities are uplifted, and local and global challenges are addressed with enhanced speed and efficiency.

These sentiments shared by various IP offices underscore the crucial need to empower and support women in the realm of intellectual property, as they hold the key to driving innovation and economic growth on a worldwide scale.