The International Trademark Association (INTA) released its The Women’s LeadershIP Initiative Report and Best Practices Toolkit on February 23, 2021.

The Women’s LeadershIP Initiative is a major project of INTA which seeks to address the problems concerning gender diversity in intellectual property and women’s career progression in the field.

Focusing on women’s representation in the workplace, career advancement and work-life integration, the report aims to encourage women in IP to acquire skillsets necessary to assume leadership roles in their organizations and advance in their careers.

One of the report’s key findings is that although women have greater representation in IP than in any other law firm practice area, they remain under-represented in the field.  This is particularly true in leadership positions. Furthermore, it presents evidence that gender parity will not be achieved for 99.5 years, which “is startling and of great concern,” according to the report.

The Women’s LeadershIP Initiative Report and Best Practices Toolkit contains data, key findings and recommended best practices. These recommendations were gathered from five INTA-organized virtual workshops in 2020. The workshops promoted discussions among female Association members in IP leadership positions from Asia Pacific, North America, Latin America and Europe.

The report also shows that robust anti-harassment policies and anti-discrimination policies are the measures most often implemented by organizations to promote gender diversity. Workforce gender quotas are the least often established in these organizations.

Recommended best practices to help solve this gap include open dialogue and sound work-life integration policies, rather than workforce gender quotas.

Another finding is that in-house IP practitioners report a better work-life balance than those working in law firms. Respondents across the regions noted that having flexible working arrangements is a key factor for bringing about satisfactory work-life integration.

In terms of professional advancement, participants from all four regions said that visibility or “speaking up and standing up for achievements” played a huge part in their career progression. However, many of the women said that in order to advance in their careers, they found the need to resign, start their own firm and thus assume a leadership role in their own organization.

The report also addresses how INTA can support women’s leadership in IP. Among the recommendations from the participants are the following: creation of networking events promoting the exchange of views among women IP professionals with different roles and functions, and a sponsorship or mentorship program.

Meanwhile, the best practices toolkit outlines 19 recommended initiatives. Among these are the implementation of a Diversity and Inclusion Council, an internal reporting requirement, coaching circles and formal flexible working arrangements.

“I have been fortunate to have a fulfilling and successful career in IP, but I remain mindful of the challenges that women still confront in the workplace,” Ayala Deutsch, INTA’s 2020 president said in the report’s foreword. “I am confident that The Women’s LeadershIP Initiative will be a powerful resource to help women navigate those challenges and move forward in their careers.”

Espie Angelica A. de Leon