IPR AND WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

Introduction-

WIPO is a specialised UN agency and it is dedicated 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's empowerment in line with the UN system-wide action plan on Gender equality and empowerment of women(UN SAWP), Elimination of 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  26^th WIPO celebrates World IP Day and in 2018 its theme was ‘Powering change, women in innovation and creativity’.In the 21^st century with an increase in globalisation, modernisation and innovation, there is a need to promote and protect gender diversity and IPR is one of the forms which can protect innovation.

IMPORTANCE OF IPR-In the 21^st 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 build 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 the 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 healthy environment for the artistic mind, by enabling the artist, and 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 remember reading Jane Austen while growing up or the works of Ella Fitzgerald. The music of Shakira and the melodious voice of Lata Mangeshkar. In 1809 in the United States, Mary Kies became the first woman to get a patent for her innovation of weaving straw with silk.

The scenario of IP protection of inventions by women in the world and India

Compared to men the scenario of women entrepreneurs 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 the rise of women artists, and authors and their exclusion from AI-based copyrights there have been many conferences and women have voiced their opinions. Developed countries perform better than developing countries, countries like Spain, the US, UK have more women aware of the IP and the protection it provides and know more about patents, trademarks, and copyrights than compared to women in 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 patents were from Latin America and the Caribbean (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, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and food chemistry, whereas inventions in transport, engines, and 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 a healthy environment 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's entrepreneurship. Women can form cooperatives and promote their inventions which will be protected by IPR.

4)IPR can promote tribal women's upliftment. Tribals have indigenous and traditional knowledge of many inventions that have been passed down to them for generations.GI tag a form of IPR can be used by 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 the Chakhesang shawl and the Chakhesang women's 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. The 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 registered under GI so that they can avail international recognition and financial and social benefits

6)In developing countries many small and medium businesses are run by women. The apparel industry in Bangladesh and India is a suitable example of it. Many inventions can be registered with the promotion of knowledge regarding the IPR process and filling.Also.IPR registration can prevent harassment, infringement and exploitation of women inventors and entrepreneurs.

7) Copyright is an important form of IPR and it gives recognition and protection to the work. This legal protection provides a moral, and financial boost to women to produce good work.

CONCLUSION

IPR literacy and government initiatives and protection by International organisations can promote women's 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 applicants is female in India, then the application will get expedited examination by the Indian Patent office. Measures like these can promote women's empowerment and promote confidence among women innovators.