USPTO Director Addresses ‘Unacceptable’ Gender Gap In Sci/Tech Fields

By Marianna Drake for Intellectual Property Watch

The alarming statistic that women hold less than 25 percent of science and technology jobs in the United States, despite making up nearly half of the workforce, brings home the extent to which women are underrepresented in this domain, says US Patent and Trademark Office Director Michelle Lee.

Lee addressed the issue in her 21 September keynote address to the Million Women Mentors Summit in Washington DC.

The summit sought to connect one million science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) mentors with millions of women and girls interested in perusing a career in the STEM domain. Lee acknowledged the important role that mentors played in her own professional development, stating that it was their support and encouragement that enabled her to become the first woman to lead the USPTO.

Lee grew up in Silicon Valley and describes being inspired at a young age by watching her father, an engineer, “take things apart, tinker and make things.” It wasn’t long until she tried her hand at building things; her experience of building a radio as a child “left a permanent impression” on her, and propelled her to study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

She emphasised that reducing the gender gap calls for a ‘long-term approach’, and announced a number of initiatives that the USPTO has launched. Programmes such as the ‘All in STEM’ campaign are aimed to ignite girls’ interest in STEM subjects and encourage more women to pursue STEM degrees and careers.

Lee maintained that her involvement in this cause is not motivated by her own gender, but more profoundly because she understands that “we cannot succeed in the global economy with, in effect, one hand tied behind our back.”

 

Marianna Drake is a joint intern at Intellectual Property Watch and DiploFoundation. She has an LLB Honours in Law from King’s College London where she developed an interest in information technology law, internet governance and internet-related intellectual property issues.