Author- VASHVI SINGH
Introduction- WIPO is a specialised UN agency and it is dediacted to promoting innovation through Intellectual Property .Through IP it also committed to promote gender equality and social,economic and political development.WIPO is committed to promoting women empowerment in lines with UN system wide action plan on Gender equality and empowerment of women(UN SAWP),Elimination on all forms of discrimination against women (1979),Millenium Development goals (2020) and various others national and international treaties,conventions and laws.
Every year on April 26th WIPO celeberates world IP day and in 2018 it’s theme was ‘powering change ,women in innovation and creativity’.In the 21st century with increase in gloabalisation,modernisation and innovation,there is need to promote and protect gender diversity and IPR is one of the forms which can protect innovation.
IMPORTANCE OF IPR-In the 21st century the creation of mind is the biggest asset for mankind and IPR protects that.
a)It fosters and promotes innovation
b)Trademarks ,and Patents builds confidence around a brand value and help in ease of doing business by enabling people to distinguish and buy the most suitable brand.
c)Geographical indications help raise the employment level in the particular geographical region,it also promotes tourism and helps in socio-economic development of that region.
d)Copyrights give exclusive rights to a person to protect their artistic creation from being infringed and help develop a helathy environment for the artistic mind,by enabling the artist ,author to work on their creation without the fear of losing their credit to another.
WOMEN AND IP Since the beginning of time women have been creators,innovators and artists.One can rememer reading Jane Austen while growing up or the works of Ella Fitgerald.The music of Shakira and melodious voice of Lata Mangeshkar.In 1809 in United States Mary Kies became the first women to get a patent for her innovation of weaving straw with silk.
The scenario of IP protection of inventions by women in world and in India
Compared to men the scenario forwomen entreprenuers and innovators is dismal.Various statistics have shown that nearly 80% of patents filed do not include women in the US .In India the percentage of women included in the journal published by IPO regarding patent filing was only 5.14%.In copyrights due to rise of women artists,authors and their exclusion from AI based copyrights there have been many conferences and women have voiced their opinion.Developed countries perform better tha developing countries,countries like Spain,US,UK have more women aware of the IP and the protection it provides and know more about patents ,trademarks,copyrights than compared to women of India,Bangladesh and other developing countries., even though Asian countries have more women patent fillers than US.In 2020 according to a report by WIPO women who filed patent were from Latin America and the Carribean(19.2) of the applicants.Asia and North America had 17% and 16.5% women applicants.According to the report by WIPO women innovators are concentrated in Academia (23%) in 2020 ,bio techonology ,pharmaceuticals and food chemistry,whereas inventions in transport,engines,pumps are predominantly men centric fields and women innovators are generally not found in these fields.
IMPORTANCE OF IPR FOR WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
1)IPR promotes innovation and healthy competition and environment.Women need healthy enovironment for innovation and need assurance that their innovation is protected.IPR provides that environment and assurance.
2)IP awareness can promote economic and social development.It can secure funding for women who have innovative ideas.
3)It can promote women entrepreneurship.Women can form cooperatives and promote their invention which will be protected by IPR.
4)IPR can promote tribal women uplifment.Tribals have indigeneous and traditional knowledge of many inventions that have been passed down to them since generations.GI tag a form of IPR can be used by the vulnerable Tribal women to protect the invention of their area.In India the Chakhesang tribe were the first among the Naga tribe to file for GI of Chakhesang shawl and the Chakhesang women welfare society has protected the shawl from being infringed.
5)GI tag gives opportunity to Indian women to work at home and within the vicinity of their home and that can be used to boost low female participation in the Indian labour force,which is 25% according to periodic Labour Force participation.Consortium of women entrepreneurs of India in its 2021 meeting had appealed to many women artisans in Uttrakhand who produce traditional clothes,paintings and other cultural products to get their products regsitered under GI,so that they can avail international recognition and financial and social benefits
6)In developing countries amny small and medium businesses are run by women.Apparel industry in Bangladesh and India is the suitable example for it.Many inventions can be registeredwith promotion of knowledge regarding IPR process and filling.Also.IPR registration can prevent harrasment,infringement and exploitation of the women inventors and enrepreneurs
7) Copyrights is an imporatnt form of IPR and it gives recognition and protection to the work .This legal protection provides moral,financial boost to women to produce good work.
CONCLUSION
IPR literacy and government initiatives and protection by International organisation can promote women empowerment through IPR.A lot of women face covert discrimination in fields like Trademark,Patents,Copyrights and GI tags.According to the new patent rules in India if the applicant or any of the applicant is female in India ,then the application will get expedited examination by Indian Patent office.Measures like these can promote women empowerment and promote confidence among women innovators.
