Celebrating International Women’s Day
On 8 March, the European Patent Office (EPO) will join organisations around the world in marking International Women’s Day (IWD) – a moment to celebrate the achievements of women, recognise the progress made, and reaffirm our shared commitment to diversity and inclusion (D&I) in the workplace. As a mark of solidarity, the EPO logo will be changed to purple, the official colour of International Women’s Day.
Partnering with other IP offices to defend women’s and girls’ rights
The EPO has adopted the 2026 UN theme “Rights, Justice, Action: For ALL Women and Girls”, partnering with WIPO and 82 national offices to sign a joint statement highlighting women’s underrepresentation within the IP system. The signatories emphasise 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 recognised as innovators and creators in all fields.”
EPO study ‘Advancing women in STEM’ published this week
This week, the EPO Observatory published a study revealing slow growth in the share of women in science, technology, mathematics and engineering (STEM). Despite incremental gains, women remain underrepresented as inventors, founders and patent professionals. The study highlights structural barriers and offers evidence to advance policy and equality strategies to foster inclusive innovation. Designed to inspire and inform practical action, the study also profiles four accomplished women inventors: Dame Carol Robinson and Cordelia Schmid, recipients of the European Inventor Award, and Pilar Granado and Marie Perrin, winners of the Young Inventors Prize.
About International Women's Day
Rooted in the women’s suffrage movement, International Women’s Day has been observed worldwide for more than a hundred years. Europe’s first celebrations took place in 1911, quickly gaining support in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. In 1975, the United Nations began officially observing the day, and in 1977 it encouraged member states to recognise it as a UN-designated holiday.
