International Women's Day 2026

We, the intellectual property and innovation offices from around the world, in line with this year's theme of Rights, Justice, Action: For all women and girls, reaffirm a shared message of building on sustained efforts to uphold, strengthen, and modernize intellectual property (IP) systems and innovation support frameworks to better serve women and girls worldwide.

We affirm that all women and girls have equal rights to protect their inventions, creations, and innovations through accessible IP systems. They have the right to access and navigate IP processes without prohibitive barriers, to own and control the commercial outcomes of their intellectual contributions, and to be counted, visible, and recognized as innovators and creators in all fields.

Women are under-represented across the IP ecosystem. According to the 2025 World Intellectual Property Indicators report, only 18% of inventors listed in published PCT applications in 2024 were women. Justice requires us to address persistent imbalances in the IP system and innovation support frameworks. Economic considerations and potential for growth are central to our shared commitment: greater participation by women in innovation drives productivity, competition, and economic growth. Investment in women-led innovation and women-oriented inventions unlocks underutilized talent and ideas and untapped market potential. Importantly, by ensuring women can effectively secure and leverage IP, it can help close persistent gaps in access to capital and markets, strengthening business growth and expanding the broader economic and social impact of innovation.

Our commitment requires action. We will work to support policy approaches that reduce barriers to IP access and use, recognizing that barriers are often compounded by broader structural and socio-economic inequalities, and that inclusive IP systems must be responsive to different national contexts and levels of development. We will promote the visibility of women inventors and creators to inspire others, foster role models, and open pathways for future generations, demonstrating what is possible. We will strengthen IP education and advisory services for women inventors, entrepreneurs, researchers, and creators, while improving access to IP tools and information to support protection, management, commercialization, and enforcement of rights.

We commit to ensuring that women enjoy full access to and benefit from technological solutions and emerging technologies. We will leverage, within our remit, public policies that promote the participation of women and girls in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics fields to close the gender gap in education and in access, control, and use of technology by creating learning environments that engage girls, stimulate curiosity, build confidence, and broaden vocational horizons.

To guide our actions, we recognize the importance of collecting and analysing sex-disaggregated IP and innovation data. Understanding where women are actively participating and where gaps remain is essential for driving meaningful change. Where applicable, we will share these insights with policymakers, research institutions, and innovation stakeholders to inform policy, guide resources, and support measurable indicators that track progress and identify any persistent barriers.

Advancing women’s participation in innovation and IP is a driver of sustainable development, resilience, and inclusive growth for present and future generations. We invite IP offices, governments, innovators, and partners to join us in this commitment: supporting rights, advancing justice, and taking action so that all women and girls can innovate, protect their inventions and creations, and contribute fully to global progress. Together, we can create an innovation environment that encourages women and girls to lead, create, and shape the future.