On the heels of releasing The Women’s LeadershIP Initiative Report and Best Practices Toolkit last week, the International Trademark Association (INTA) will build on its call for greater representation and advancement of women in intellectual property (IP) by hosting events around the world to mark International Women’s Day on March 8 and beyond.
INTA would be pleased to arrange interviews with INTA’s 2021 President Tiki Dare and other female leaders of the Association, as well as with women in IP, including those who have started their own firms. Contact JC Darné at jdarne@inta.org or 212- 642-1774.
Events:
- The Women’s LeadershIP Initiative will hold virtual discussion forums, entitled Championing Women Leaders: The Road Forward, in various time zones on March 8. Facilitated by women leaders, the one-hour forums will discuss the implementation of best practices to foster career advancement and leadership opportunities for women. The forums are for INTA members only—both women and men.
- INTA’s virtual What’s Next for Brands: A View from Europe Conference, March 23-24, will include Table Topic small group discussions on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), work-life integration, and culture exchange on March 23.
- In the richest and most powerful episodes to date, on March 30 and April 13, INTA’s Brand & New podcast will focus on the legacy of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg—in a rare, combined interview with high-profile guests:
- Professor Jane Ginsburg, a leading IP scholar, American attorney, and the daughter of the late Justice
- Professor Mary Hartnett, authorized RBG biographer, Adjunct Professor at Georgetown Law, focusing on international women’s human rights
- Judge Mary Margaret McKeown— Judge-U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, mentee of RBG
Other Initiatives:
- 2021 INTA President Tiki Dare will focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion as one of her key priorities this year, including convening a Presidential Task Force on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The task force will look beyond gender diversity to also include issues related to racial equity, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, and more.
- INTA has revitalized its INTA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, with a renewed mission: to expand educational and professional development opportunities in IP for diverse, under-represented populations around the world. It is encouraging donations from INTA members.
- Within INTA, the upcoming 2022-2025 Strategic Plan will continue to include a strong DEI component, and a new program—Women in INTA(WIN)—will continue to foster women’s leadership in the Association. Evident of the strong representation of women volunteers, to date, since 2000, 11 INTA Presidents have been women; currently, 5 of the 6 Officers of the Board of Directors are women, as are 14 of the 30 members of the Board and 31 of the 70 committee chairs and vice chairs.
Key findings of The Women’s LeadershIP Report and Best Practices Toolkit include:
- Women are under-represented in the IP sector, particularly in leadership positions. While research shows that diversity and the representation of women in IP is higher than in other law firm practice areas, the report also highlights evidence that gender parity will not be attained for 99.5 years.
- Many women found it necessary to leave an organization and start their own firm to attain a leadership position, especially in Latin America and North America.
- The measures most often in place in organizations to advance gender diversity are robust anti-harassment policies and anti-discrimination policies. Least often in place are workforce gender quotas.
- Respondents across regions noted that agreeing on flexible working arrangements with their organizations is paramount in helping to bring about satisfactory work-life integration.
About the International Trademark Association
The International Trademark Association (INTA) is a global association of brand owners and professionals dedicated to supporting trademarks and related intellectual property (IP) to foster consumer trust, economic growth, and innovation. Members include nearly 6,500 organizations, representing more than 34,350 individuals (trademark owners, professionals, and academics) from 185 countries, who benefit from the Association’s global trademark resources, policy development, education and training, and international network. Founded in 1878, INTA is headquartered in New York City, with offices in Beijing, Brussels, Santiago, Singapore, and Washington, D.C., and a representative in New Delhi. For more information, visit inta.org.