A joint statement to celebrate the role of women in innovation and creation

Since 2022, every year, offices and organizations that support women on a daily basis unite within the framework of WIPO to deliver a common message on the occasion of International Women's Day, March 8.

The INPI has once again joined this action which aims to promote greater equality in access to intellectual property.

This year, the theme announced by the UN was summed up in these few words: "Rights, Justice, Action: For all women and girls"

The Institute and approximately 80 of its counterparts have therefore reaffirmed, in particular, that “All women and girls enjoy the same rights to protect their inventions, creations and innovations through accessible intellectual property systems.”which implies "The right to access and control intellectual property procedures without facing insurmountable obstacles, to appropriate and control the commercial results arising from their intellectual contributions, and to be considered, visible, and recognized as innovators and creators in all fields."

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Read the full statement

An EPO study on the place of women in STEM fields

Another notable action surrounding International Women's Day was the publication, on March 3rd, by the European Patent Office (EPO) of a study dedicated to the role of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This initiative is part of its ongoing work to promote greater participation of women in innovation ecosystems.

The INPI was involved in the preparatory work, notably by conducting an in-depth survey of French initiatives aimed at promoting the appropriation of STEM professions by young girls, from primary school onwards and throughout their educational journey.

These initiatives, led by committed associations, elite schools and engineering schools, demonstrate a structured mobilization in favor of greater diversity in these fields.

Some key findings from the EPO study concerning France

• France is above the European average in terms of women's participation in patents. This stands at 16,6% over the period 2018-2022 compared to 13,8% at the European level in 2022.

• Women remain underrepresented in innovative entrepreneurship in France. Thus, women's participation is lower in start-ups filing patents (13,9%, including 7,3% of exclusively female teams and 6,6% of mixed teams) than in those that do not file patents (24,3%).

• French universities are among the top in Europe in several STEM fields for patent filings by women during and after doctoral studies.

In the life sciences, the University of Lyon ranks second in Europe for the proportion of women filing patents during their doctorate (4% of graduates), while the University of Paris-Saclay has the highest proportion in Europe for filing patents after the doctorate (5% of graduates).

In engineering, Grenoble Alpes University ranks first in Europe both for patent filings during the doctorate (11% of graduates) and after the doctorate (10% of graduates).

In mathematics and computer science, the Mines-Télécom institute comes out on top for submissions during the doctorate (10% of graduates), while the Paris Sciences et Lettres university stands out for submissions after the doctorate (8% of graduates).

• There is a strong female presence in professions that drive the innovation system. In 2025, women represented 40,1% of industrial property consultants in France (compared to 37,5% in 2015), a level significantly higher than the European average of 29,2%.

Source: A joint statement within the framework of WIPO and a new study by the EPO