Everyone knows that March is Women’s History Month, but fewer people realize that in April, those of us in the IP field celebrate World IP Day on April 26. This year’s theme is Women and IP: Accelerating Innovation and Creativity.
The celebration of World IP Day started in the year 2000 and has been presented annually by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). WIPO is a global forum made up of 193 nations, including the United States, that sets IP policy, provides IP information, and IP cooperation among the member states.
WIPO was formed on April 26, and for that reason, elected on April 26 to celebrate World IP Day. Every year, there is a different theme for World IP Day. Recent examples have included Sports and IP, Art and IP, and IP and SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises).
This year’s theme is Women and IP: Accelerating Innovation and Creativity
In my view, this is an important topic. A recent study showed that women are named on just 13% of patents and while the percentage of women participating in the patent system is increasing, 13% is a really low number. An analysis of why the number of women contributing to innovation is so low is beyond the scope of this blog. However, I do think it is important to highlight the achievements of those women that are innovative and creative.
I agree with everything that WIPO says about why it is important to get more women involved. We are missing out on the talents of half of the population!
In order to get more women involved in IP, WIPO is looking for resources for women inventors, creators, and entrepreneurs. To that end, I will recommend my Pirate Fight Club® group for more information on intellectual property.