Intellectual Property and Innovation Offices Worldwide Unite for International Women’s Day 2026: Rights, Justice, Action

Ahead of International Women’s Day, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and more than 80 intellectual property (IP) and innovation offices worldwide have reaffirmed their shared commitment to advancing the participation of women and girls in creativity, innovation and IP globally through a joint message [English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Japanese, Russian, Spanish].

Building on the joint messages of previous years, this year’s theme, “Rights, Justice, Action: For All Women and Girls,” highlights that all women and girls have the right to protect their inventions, creations, and innovations. It emphasizes the importance of accessible IP systems, the ability to own and control the commercial outcomes of their work, and the importance of being recognized, visible, and counted as innovators and creators. Women remain underrepresented in the IP ecosystem. According to the 2025 World Intellectual Property Indicators, only 18% of inventors listed in published Patent Cooperation Treaty applications in 2024 were women. Justice requires action to address persistent imbalances and to expand opportunities offered by IP systems, unlocking untapped talent, ideas, and market potential.

IP and Innovation Offices Taking Action

“The underrepresentation of women in the IP ecosystem is a missed opportunity for the world,” said Lisa Jorgenson, Deputy Director General of WIPO. “Women are innovators and creators, and they need the right support and structures to protect their inventions and creations through intellectual property. This is what WIPO is working to achieve, with the partnership of IP offices worldwide."

IP and innovation offices worldwide are advancing practical measures to support women’s rights in innovation by:

Reducing barriers to IP access and use, recognizing structural and socio-economic inequalities
Promoting the visibility of women inventors and creators to inspire future generations
Strengthening IP education and advisory services, including support for protection, management, commercialization, and enforcement of IP rights
Supporting access to technological solutions and emerging technologies
Collecting and analyzing sex-disaggregated IP and innovation data to guide policy and track progress

Apply for WIPO Academy scholarships from March 8-12! Free advanced distance learning (DL) courses are being offered for female applicants.

Register now for WIPO’s virtual panel discussion in Arabic on Tuesday, 10 March 2026 at 10 AM CET, featuring inspirational women entrepreneurs from Arab countries who have leveraged intellectual property to turn their ideas into impactful, innovative, and sustainable businesses.

Read the new blog by World Intellectual Property Organization and United Nations Population Fund for International Women’s Day, available on 8 March, which examines the data on women’s role in innovation and highlights the persistent gaps in ensuring that innovation systems also address women’s needs.

Register now to attend the IP and Women Business Summit on 17 March 2026 at the WIPO Nigeria Office. This hybrid event will bring together women leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs to explore the role of intellectual property in advancing women-led economic transformation.

WIPO continues to build a global community supporting women in innovation and IP, bringing together IP and innovation offices, policymakers, and innovators from around the world. As part of this effort, WIPO holds regular high-level meetings and knowledge-sharing sessions with Member States that cover issues such as legal and financial support for women innovators, as well as mentorship and leadership development . Building on this work, WIPO will host the 2026 Women and IP Symposium, bringing together IP and innovation offices to exchange experiences and discuss strategies for increasing women’s participation in IP.

Learn more about WIPO's ongoing efforts and initiatives on our Women and IP webpage.