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8 March 2023FeaturesInfluential Women in IPMuireann Bolger

International Women’s Day #Embrace Equity

It’s a reassuring refrain that most of us are taught from an early age “to be fair, treat everybody equally”.

But as we grow older, the reality—in a world where systemic inequalities remain rife—is swiftly exposed as being far more nuanced and complex.

Sadly, the provision of equal opportunities to men and women, while laudable, simply isn’t enough: that’s where equity comes in.

The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day, #EmbraceEquity, aims to get the world talking about the fact that while equality means providing the same to all, equity recognises that, in most cases, men and women do not start on an equal footing.

And this calls for strategies and measures that go some way towards alleviating the historical and social disadvantages that prevent women from operating on a level playing field with men. In this way, equity can lead to equality.

The United Nations puts it in succinct yet devastating terms: “Everywhere, women are worse off than men—simply because they are women. The reality for women from minorities, older women, those with disabilities and women migrants and refugees is even worse.”

While there has been some progress, on average women in the global labour market still earn 20% less than men.

In law, that figure is even worse. When pay analytics company Gapsquare analysed hourly pay rates provided by law firms under the statutory gender pay reporting guidelines for 2022, it found a gender pay gap of 25%—a figure that has remained largely unchanged since 2017

So how can women achieve greater equity in IP? Female IP leaders around the world tell WIPR about their own interpretations of this year’s campaign theme—and why it’s a timely one.

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