Promoting women in STEM
Historically, professions in science and law have been dominated by men, but how does this industry look in 2022? Are women really at the heart of it? Why should they be there? And what more could be done to support women in their careers in this field?
For women to be at the heart of our business, it is critical they are engaged with the running and direction of the business and can participate fully. This matters at all seniority levels: for junior staff, a lack of inclusion and positive senior role models can make it seem that a place at the top is not available to them.
If women feel that they are fighting against the tide, lack a sense of belonging, or that they are not acknowledged fully in moving the business forwards, retention of female staff can be an issue and talented women can be lost.
This loss leads to the lack of female representation at senior levels, which is so crucial to having diverse decision-makers in the business. These factors apply not only to fee earners, but many support staff are female and are absolutely integral to business success. Their voices also should be heard in order for those women to be at the heart of our business.
Where are we now?
A data-packed article published by the Intellectual Property Owners Association earlier this year focused on “Diversity in the European Innovation Industry and IP Profession”. And there were a few encouraging points amid disheartening facts.
The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) is succeeding in addressing gender imbalance in senior positions, increasing the proportion of women in managerial roles from 20% in 2003 to 47.4% in 2021. The UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) reports increased success for female job candidates. An increase in female inventorship can be seen in many European countries.
However, there remains a much higher proportion of male patent attorneys, at least in the UK (the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys reports that the patenting sector comprises 72% males.)
Female inventorship in Europe in 2019 stands at around 30% in Eastern Europe, with lower figures in France (16%), the UK (11%) and Germany (6%). In the UKIPO, 21% of patent examiners are female, with 33% female examiners at the European Patent Office (EPO) of which 22% have managerial roles. Clearly, headway is being made to improve inclusion for women in the IP industry but a lot of work remains.
So what makes women succeed at the heart of our business, and how can the figures be improved?
