Application of Gender Mainstreaming Policy in Patenting Aiming to Achieve Sustainable Development in Iran

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Professor of Private and Islamic Law, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 Master of Intellectual Property Law, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Generally, patent activities could result in the dissemination of knowledge and an increase in the level of innovation. The gender gap throughout the patent process has existed for a long time in all countries. Despite women's access to more employment and educational opportunities in recent decades, the gap has narrowed but has not gotten eliminated. Considering that no law is neutral from social or gender presumptions, intellectual property laws would not be an exception to this rule. Identifying the direct and indirect factors that sometimes exist in procedures or other laws such as passport, civil, and labor laws makes it possible to reduce the severity of the gender gap and its consequences through practical solutions. These proposed solutions include: granting permission to female inventors to travel (those married women facing the travel ban), statistical transparency of inventors by classifying them based on gender and sexes, and implementing Gender budgeting to reduce the severity of the gender gap. These solutions would make the path towards sustainable development smoother both economically and socially. The quantitative and qualitative examination is only a necessary condition (and not a sufficient condition) to achieve the goal of gender equality. The ultimate goal of countries for sustainable development is not only to grant non-discriminatory patents to both sexes but also to facilitate the process of obtaining facilities and attracting investors without gender discrimination in the post-patent stages.

Keywords

References

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Iranian Journal of Public Policy
Volume 8, Issue 4
2022
Pages 93-106

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