Welcome to our annual edition of WIPR Diversity.

While there is a sense that there is more awareness of the critical importance of diversity and inclusion (D&I) within the IP community, many are also uneasy.

WIPR Diversity’s latest D&I survey exposes prevalent concerns over LGBTQ+ rights, mental health, social mobility and the perennial trade-off between career aspirations and familial responsibilities (page 4).

There is fear. And it is growing.

In our survey coverage, Angela Wilson of The Hershey Company expresses her concern that the D&I activism that emerged in 2020 may have now subsided, and that “momentum is being lost”.

Elsewhere, both women and LGBTQ+ advocates are keenly aware that they face increased challenges, and that the civil liberties that we have taken for granted are in danger.

In May, the US Supreme Court sent shockwaves throughout the world when it overturned Roe v Wade (1973) reversing decades of abortion rights for US women. The court’s overturning of the landmark court ruling will lead to abortion bans in roughly half of US states.

In that order, Justice Clarence Thomas opined that the development could invite new legal challenges to same-sex marriage rights, gay sex and the use of contraceptives.

As LGBTQ+ rights advocate and IP attorney, Michael Hawkins, notes: there is a sense that “hard won rights” are now under threat (page 4).

There is also a rise in faith discrimination (page 23) and the issues of poor mental health and burnout remain ever-present (pages 4,10).

Hope prevails, however.

The director of the US Patent and Trademark Office, Kathi Vidal, and the director of the World Intellectual Property Organization, Daren Tang, both offer fascinating insights on D&I, and how they are striving to make IP more inclusive (pages 5,8).

We are delighted this year to be partnering with IP Inclusive on this issue, and its CEO Andrea Brewster offers an insightful commentary on the progress that the organisation has seen over the past seven years (page 13).

We hear how neurodiversity is being championed and embraced in the workplace (page 18) and how age really is just a number (page 14).

Also, we speak to a pair of brave and passionate women lawyers in Ukraine who are determined to defend and promote their country amid the ongoing war (page 16).

There are many inspiring voices, but as our survey and commentators make clear: the good fight is far from over, and they need to be heard more loudly and clearly than ever.

I hope you enjoy the issue.