Mbokodo Marvels
As we approach the end of women’s month, we share some thoughts from Patent Attorney Shanaaz Mahomed. Attorney Shanaaz is a patent attorney and partner at Spoor & Fisher, a member of the Patent Examination Board and President of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law. We are joyous to include Attorney Shanaaz in our Luminary fold.
Q & A with Patent Attorney Shanaaz Mahomed:
- What do you think makes a woman remarkable? A remarkable woman is a remarkable human! What underpins the essence of a remarkable human is courage, truth, and forgiveness. In my view, we all have these elements in different measures and when we draw on them, we create incredible change. While these elements are all strong virtues of character, it would be remiss of me to omit the genuine and playful traits of curiosity and imagination which enlivens and fuels any action. It reminds me of the saying “Imagination is more important than knowledge”. I wonder if there is a seat open in a boardroom for “The Imaginative Woman” or better yet, “The Imaginative Human”?
- Who, in your life, is a remarkable woman? The woman of wonder (or WOW) in my life – is remarkable, incredible, there is no one that can hold a candle to her and that would be – my Mum. During her lifetime she has been a daughter, sister, wife, a graduate, an educator, business owner and mother of five children, she’s attended parliamentary meetings, hosted dignitaries, and even hosted in our home the likes of a famous international Hollywood star, but most importantly she is a doting grandmother. She continues to shine and accept all that life offers with grace. Secretly, I think she’s now striving to be as techno-savvy as her grandson!
- What do you most enjoy about working at/with Spoor & Fisher? I enjoy working at Spoor & Fisher for many reasons – it encourages an innovative mindset, it embraces technology and successfully intertwines technology with its processes to enhance service delivery.
- How do you define ‘impact’? Impact is the change I want to make in the world. I have no interest in superficial change. It is the impact we make on future generations that I identify with and which deeply resonates with me. I am drawn to the belief that for humans “thought” is the beginning of change – and it is truly evident in my field of practice where inventors with albeit an extravagant or practical thought take an idea, a thought, and mould it into something tangible, transforming the world.
- If you could change one thing about the experience of women and girls living in the world, what would it be? The spotlight still needs to be on gender equity. McKinsey, 2020, reports that the representation of women in C-suite grew from a dismal 17% (2015) to 21% (2020). Although the pace is slow, there is improvement and times are changing – In New Zealand, Jacinda Arden is one of the youngest prime ministers and she leads with kindness and compassion. In my view, we all have a role to play – I think it is important to pause a moment and acknowledge the men and women that are/have been strong champions for change and mentors for women in leadership roles. One such champion, is my Dad who encouraged and supported the education of his daughters, while he navigated very challenging and turbulent political times. I think engaging with champions for change, making policy changes and networking are some of the resources to tackle gender inequality.
- How would you like to see the field of law change or transform in future, where women are concerned? I would like to see the legal profession evolve from a traditional culture to a more inclusive culture. This is probably easier said than done. But quick wins can be made, particularly for women inclusivity by adopting policies around remote-working, agile-working and hybrid working models. We have already seen the remote-working model positively galvinised throughout the pandemic. I think it is important to acknowledge the law firms which have or have had women leading in the C-suite and those who are taking women inclusivity seriously by implementing supporting programs and policies. In future, more focus can also be placed on the environment and system changes and following from that, the culture can begin to shift.
- Do you have a personal motto or philosophy? Nothing is impossible. What seems impossible (at first), just takes time.
- Do you have any reservations about initiatives like Women’s Day, Women’s Month, and/or women-only awards and accolades? Why or why not? It is important to remember our history in South Africa– on Women’s Day, we pay tribute to more than 20 000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956 for the progress of equality and human dignity. Women’s day/month remains relevant – to celebrate our progress but also to shed light on significant issues such as education for girls, gender equity, domestic violence, discrimination. As we celebrate all women around the globe and their achievements, we remember the courage of those who fought for gender equity and those who continue to advocate for diversity and inclusion in the world.
Halala Luminary Patent Attorney Shanaaz for constant contributions to skills development. Thank you for taking the time to share these priceless pearls, malibongwe!
For a visual discourse with Patent Attorney Shanaaz Mahomed, enjoy our Think Tank with Patent, Tech and Mining Mbokodo streaming on SABWiL YouTube. If you are a law student and wish for guidance from our Luminary Patent Attorney, access this hereunder. Vuk’uzenzele.
Ubuntu,
South African Black Women in Law
August 2021