The International Trademark Association (INTA) celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8 by hosting virtual discussion forums in various time zones under its Women’s LeadershIP Initiative which marks its first anniversary on that date.

Titled Championing Women Leaders: The Road Forward, the activity will feature one-hour forums to be facilitated by women leaders themselves, including 2021 INTA president and Oracle USA’s vice president and associate general counsel Tiki Dare.

Discussions will revolve around best practices to foster career advancement and leadership opportunities for women as embodied in INTA’s recently released The Women’s LeadershIP Initiative Report and Best Practices Toolkit.

The report cites research showing that women have greater representation in intellectual property than in other law firm practice areas. Yet, despite this, women are still under-represented in IP, particularly in leadership roles. In fact, many women especially in North and Latin America found it necessary to leave an organization to start their own firm and assume a leadership position. Based on evidence indicated in the report, gender parity will not be achieved for 99.5 years.

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

Championing Women Leaders: The Road Forward will also feature an open discussion on various topics. Among these are mentorship and sponsorship, leadership development programs, performance and success measurements based on quality indicators and formal flexible working arrangements.

The virtual discussion forums are free and open to INTA members only, female or male. 

INTA follows this up with its virtual What’s Next for Brands: A View from Europe Conference which will feature table topic discussions on diversity, equity, and inclusion, work-life integration and culture exchange on March 23;  as well as its Brand & New podcast on March 30 and April 13 showcasing the legacy of the late US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The guests are: Professor Jane Ginsburg, a leading IP scholar, attorney and daughter of the late Justice; Professor Mary Hartnett, Ginsburg’s authorized biographer and adjunct professor at Georgetown Law focusing on international women's rights; and Judge Mary Margaret McKeown of the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and Ginsburg’s mentee.

Espie Angelica A. de Leon