Advancing Women and IP: A Spotlight Series on Initiatives for Innovation and Success
WIPO continues to empower women through intellectual property (IP) education and capacity-building initiatives designed to enhance their knowledge of the IP system and strengthen their ability to protect, manage, and commercialize their innovations and creative works. In 2025, the WIPO Academy supported 199,138 women through its education and training programs, representing 55 per cent of all participants. Notably, 83 per cent of women participants came from developing countries, reflecting WIPO’s commitment to inclusive access to IP education. Through specialized initiatives for women scientists, entrepreneurs, SME professionals, Indigenous women, and women in STEM, WIPO is helping to close gender gaps in IP knowledge and fostering a more diverse and inclusive global innovation landscape.
WIPO has also expanded its efforts to reach girls at an early stage of their educational journey, recognizing that closing gender gaps in innovation requires intervention long before women enter the workforce. A notable example is the first National Intellectual Property (IP) Youth Camp for Girls in STEAM, held in Nigeria in April 2026 in line with WIPO’s Intellectual Property and Gender Action Plan (IPGAP). The camp brought together 51 girls aged 13 to 17 from secondary schools across Abuja and introduced them to IP, innovation, entrepreneurship, and inventive problem-solving through interactive and project-based learning. Working in teams, participants designed inventions addressing local challenges, developed business concepts, and prepared IP strategies incorporating patents, trademarks, industrial designs, copyright, and utility models. The program also connected participants with successful Nigerian women inventors, entrepreneurs, and IP professionals who shared their experiences in developing and protecting innovations. Complementing the student-focused activities, WIPO convened teachers and education stakeholders to explore the integration of IP, innovation, and entrepreneurship into secondary school curricula through a train-the-trainer model, laying the foundation for a broader and more sustainable approach to IP education for girls and young women.
WIPO's educational efforts also extend to supporting women at more advanced stages of the innovation lifecycle, particularly those seeking to commercialize research and technology-based innovations. An example is the forthcoming Scale Up Your IP Program for Women Innovators, a specialized capacity-building initiative designed for women-led university spin-offs, research ventures, and deep-tech start-ups. The program aims to strengthen participants' ability to use IP strategically in commercialization processes, addressing issues such as technology transfer, market positioning, brand development, investment readiness, and IP ownership.
Australia: Supporting Women Through Targeted IP Education and Outreach
Australia has adopted a targeted and evidence-based approach to increasing women’s participation in the IP system through IP Australia’s Her IP initiative. The educational outreach program was developed in response to persistent gender disparities in IP participation: women account for only around 19 per cent of IP applicants in Australia, and less than one-third of female founders are likely to commercialize a patentable invention. Research undertaken by IP Australia found that many women perceive the IP system as costly, complex, and requiring significant legal and financial commitments upfront. Women also reported uncertainty about where to find reliable information, whether their ideas qualified for IP protection, and how to navigate registration processes. Evidence also shows that women applicants are more likely to drop out of the application process when they receive an adverse report when compared with men, reducing engagement – this is an opportunity for us to increase education on this touch point.
To address these barriers, Her IP focuses on providing clear explanations of IP concepts and processes, helping women understand the practical value of patents, trademarks, designs, and other IP rights while reducing uncertainty and increasing confidence in engaging with the IP system.
A distinctive feature of the initiative is its gender-responsive communication and outreach strategy. Rather than simply repackaging existing information, Her IP uses gender-sensitive language, female-centred imagery, and messaging specifically designed to resonate with women entrepreneurs and innovators. The initiative creates safe and inclusive learning environments where women can ask questions and discuss challenges openly, while ensuring that educational activities are delivered through trusted channels and formats that reflect women’s preferences. IP Australia works closely with organizations such as Future Women, Global Sisters, SPARK Business, and Entrepreneurial & Small Business Women Australia, to deliver information through established networks that women already trust. The initiative also places a strong emphasis on storytelling, using case studies, podcasts, webinars, and social media campaigns to highlight the experiences of women innovators and entrepreneurs.
Feedback from partners and participants alike, indicates that the initiative has helped women better understand IP processes, recognize the value of their intellectual assets, and feel more confident about taking steps to secure IP protection for their businesses and inventions.
Uganda: Building IP Awareness Through Interactive and Experiential Learning
Uganda has strengthened IP awareness among young innovators and entrepreneurs through the IP in a Box Game Lab, an initiative implemented by the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) in collaboration with WIPO. As the first country in Africa selected to pilot the program, Uganda introduced a new approach to IP education that emphasizes practical learning and real-world application. The initiative was designed to help participants better understand IP concepts, recognize the value of intellectual assets, and appreciate the role that IP can play in supporting innovation, entrepreneurship, and business growth. The pilot also recorded strong female participation, with women representing 55 per cent of the 49 participants. Women were actively involved throughout the initiative as participants, trainers, judges, and members of the winning team, demonstrating the important role they can play in innovation and IP-related activities.
The three-day program combined capacity-building, experiential learning, and practical application. The first day focused on training URSB staff through a Training of Trainers (ToT) session that introduced five interactive board and card games designed to build national capacity for IP education. The games covered a range of topics, including basic IP concepts, available IP protection tools, the sequencing of IP rights throughout the innovation process, and decision-making in complex business environments. The second day brought together young entrepreneurs who participated in hands-on sessions exploring IP strategy, commercialization, and contractual considerations, helping them understand how IP can support business development and market entry. On the final day, participants took part in an IP Strategy Pitch Challenge, described as an “IP-focused Shark Tank,” in which seven teams presented business ideas to a panel of technical judges. The teams were required to identify relevant IP assets, develop commercialization and monetization strategies, address contractual issues, and demonstrate the viability of their business models. Through this combination of gamified learning, practical exercises, and business-oriented challenges, the initiative enabled participants to move beyond theoretical knowledge and apply IP concepts directly to entrepreneurial and innovation activities.
Connecting Through the IPGAP Database
Both Australia’s and Uganda’s initiatives are highlighted in WIPO’s IP and Gender Action Plan (IPGAP) Database, which catalogs national policies and programs that aim to improve women’s economic empowerment and participation in entrepreneurship, innovation, and IP. These initiatives demonstrate how practical, targeted educational and awareness-raising measures can concretely support women in understanding, accessing, and benefiting from the IP system, while strengthening their participation in innovation and entrepreneurship.
Acknowledgements: Lisa Cohen, Director of Public Education, IP Australia and Henry Yiga Junior, Department of Intellectual Property, Uganda Registration Services Bureau.