PCT Newsletter

March 2026 | No. 03/2026

IP leaders urge support for women innovators on International Women’s Day

WIPO has joined scores of IP Offices around the world in calling for more action to advance participation by women and girls in creativity, innovation and IP.

In a joint statement issued to mark International Women’s Day on 8 March, signatories highlighted the need to make IP systems accessible and ensure that women can own and control the commercial outcomes of their work.

Women are underrepresented in the IP ecosystem. According to WIPO’s World Intellectual Property Indicators 2025, only 18% of inventors listed in published PCT applications in 2024 were women. Policymakers in many countries are looking to close this gap as a critical part of efforts to enhance social justice, unlock potential, and drive economic growth and sustainable development.

The joint message is available at:

https://www.wipo.int/documents/d/women/docs-en-2026-international-womens-day-ipos-joint-message.pdf

For more information about women and IP, including details of a range of initiatives, visit:

https://www.wipo.int/en/web/women

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