Geneva, September 8, 2026: The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is continuing efforts to help women entrepreneurs, innovators and creators make greater use of intellectual property as a tool for building and expanding businesses.

Through a range of projects and programs, the UN agency works with women in different regions and sectors, helping them understand how intellectual property rights can protect ideas, strengthen brands and create new commercial opportunities.

Making Intellectual Property More Accessible

For many entrepreneurs, intellectual property can be an important business asset. Patents can protect inventions, trademarks can help establish a recognizable brand and industrial designs can safeguard the appearance of products.

However, women entrepreneurs in many markets continue to face barriers in accessing information, financing, networks and professional support related to intellectual property.

WIPO’s programs seek to address some of these gaps by providing training, practical assistance and opportunities for women to connect with wider innovation and business ecosystems.

Focus on Women and Innovation

The organization’s IP for Her initiative highlights the role intellectual property can play in women’s economic participation.

Rather than treating IP only as a legal mechanism, the initiative promotes it as part of a broader business strategy. Understanding how to identify, protect and manage intellectual assets can help entrepreneurs turn creative work and inventions into sustainable sources of income.

For women operating small and emerging businesses, stronger knowledge of IP can also help them negotiate partnerships, develop new products and build market recognition.

Supporting Entrepreneurs at Different Stages

Women can encounter intellectual property challenges at almost every stage of developing a business.

An entrepreneur may need to determine whether an invention qualifies for patent protection, register a trademark before entering new markets or protect an original design from unauthorized copying.

WIPO’s wider support programs work to improve access to information and practical knowledge so that entrepreneurs can make more informed decisions about their intellectual assets.

Intellectual Property and Economic Opportunity

The benefits of stronger IP participation extend beyond individual businesses.

When entrepreneurs are able to protect and commercialize innovations, intellectual property can contribute to investment, job creation and the development of new products and services.

Greater participation by women in innovation can also help diversify the ideas entering markets. Supporting women therefore has implications not only for gender equality but also for broader economic and technological development.

Closing the Gender Gap in Innovation

Women remain underrepresented in several areas of global innovation, including patenting and research-related activity.

International organizations and national IP offices have increasingly focused on reducing these disparities by improving education, mentorship, financing opportunities and access to innovation networks.

WIPO’s work forms part of this wider effort to ensure that women are not excluded from the economic value created by intellectual property.

Building Long-Term Capacity

Programs such as IP for Her are also aimed at creating knowledge that entrepreneurs can continue using after individual training or project support ends.

Understanding the value of intellectual property can help business owners recognize their intangible assets and incorporate them into long-term growth plans.

For creators and innovators, this knowledge can be particularly important as businesses move from local markets toward international expansion.

A Continuing Global Effort

WIPO says it supports thousands of women each year through different projects and programs connected to intellectual property.

The organization’s continuing focus on women reflects a broader recognition that access to IP systems should be inclusive and that innovation ecosystems benefit when more entrepreneurs are able to protect and commercialize their ideas.

As women-led enterprises continue to expand across industries, initiatives such as IP for Her aim to ensure that intellectual property becomes a practical resource for their journeys rather than a barrier that is difficult to understand or access.