Applications open for gender equality prize; IP spotlighted at trade and gender meeting

At a meeting of the Informal Working Group (IWG) on Trade and Gender held on 1 June, the co-Chairs announced the launch of the third edition of the International Prize for Gender Equality in Trade, which recognizes gender-responsive trade policies. They also updated members on ongoing work with the Informal Working Group on Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs). Members also shared experiences on the links between intellectual property, innovation and women's economic empowerment as part of the group's second thematic focus for 2026.

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• Women and trade
• Informal Working Group on Trade and Gender
• #Tradeforwomen

The IWG co-Chairs - Ambassador James Baxter of Australia, Ambassador Clara Delgado of Cabo Verde and Ambassador Patricia Benedetti of El Salvador - announced the launch of�the third edition of the International Prize for Gender Equality in Trade, which annually recognizes since 2024 the initiatives that advance women's participation and leadership in trade.

Based on a set of eight criteria, the Prize will recognize the best and most impactful gender-responsive national trade policy, export programme or aid for trade project adopted and implemented by WTO members as well as observer governments in support of women's inclusion in trade and women's economic empowerment. The award ceremony will be held during the Aid for Trade Global Review on 29 October. WTO members and observer governments are invited to apply for the Prize using the form available here. ��

The co-Chairs also reported on ongoing work for a new compendium titled "Empowering Women to Trade through Digitalisation: Policy Insights," which was announced at the 14th Ministerial Conference in Yaound� in March 2026. A survey questionnaire has been circulated among members of the informal working groups on trade and gender and on MSMEs, with a deadline of 13 July for responses. Additional information will be gathered from stakeholders, including international and regional organizations.

Experience sharing: Intellectual property in focus

Pakistan presented an overview of women's participation in the country's intellectual property (IP) system and national initiatives aimed at strengthening their engagement in innovation and the IP ecosystem.

Women's participation in patent filings by local applicants has increased steadily, with the share of resident-filed patent applications involving female inventors increasing from 43% in 2023 to 54% in 2025, Pakistan said. To address remaining barriers - such as limited knowledge of regulations and constrained access to legal support and commercialization opportunities - Pakistan said it has implemented targeted measures such as IP awareness programmes, a dedicated Women IP Helpline, the expansion of its Technology and Innovation Support Center network, support for participation in the World Intellectual Property Organization's (WIPO) Inventor Assistance Program and WIPO-supported projects for women innovators. Future priorities include implementing a National IP Strategy, pursuing accession to the Patent Cooperation Treaty,

Ukraine highlighted its efforts to strengthen women's participation in the IP ecosystem as part of its broader strategy to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and inclusive development. The delegation outlined measures to improve women's access to IP protection, financing opportunities and innovation support, including grant-awareness initiatives, educational webinars and targeted consultations for women entrepreneurs, researchers and inventors. Ukraine also reported that women account for 71.6% of employees at the national IP office and highlighted ongoing efforts to promote an inclusive IP culture and combat gender stereotypes in the commercialization of IP assets through awareness-raising activities and legislation prohibiting discriminatory advertising.

WIPO and the International Trade Centre (ITC) presented their joint efforts to strengthen the use of IP protections by women entrepreneurs. Through a six-month IP and business coaching programme, women entrepreneurs received tailored mentoring, workshops and training sessions aimed at strengthening their understanding of IP protection, management and commercialization. The programme helped participants translate IP concepts into practical business tools, supporting stronger branding, market expansion and business growth. WIPO also highlighted its Intellectual Property and Gender Action Plan and ongoing collaboration with the Women Exporters in the Digital Economy (WEIDE) Fund, launched by ITC and the WTO Secretariat in 2024, to help women entrepreneurs better identify, protect and leverage IP assets as part of their export and business development strategies.

Experts from the WTO Gender Research Hub and the Faculty of Law at the University of Cape Town discussed the gender dimensions of the African Continental Free Trade Area's (AfCFTA) IP framework. They noted that while women face barriers in accessing and benefiting from IP systems, these challenges can be amplified in a continental market where businesses must navigate distinct regional IP frameworks. They highlighted the evolution of the AfCFTA legal architecture, from the 2018 framework agreement to the adoption of the IP Protocol in 2023 and the Women and Youth in Trade Protocol in 2024, which introduced stronger and more explicit commitments to support women in the registration, use and protection of IP rights.

The presenters stressed that effective implementation of the agreement through trade policies will be critical, including capacity-building initiatives, improved access to information, stronger data collection and targeted support to help women leverage IP rights and participate more effectively in regional trade.

Other presentations

Costa Rica provided an update marking the conclusion of its presidency of the Inclusive Trade Action Group (ITAG) and its Global Trade and Gender Arrangement (GTAGA). During its presidency, Costa Rica focused on strengthening the institutional framework of both initiatives, advancing technical work through capacity-building activities on topics such as industrial property and trade facilitation with a gender perspective, and increasing the visibility of inclusive trade issues in international forums.

Chile, which recently took over the presidency of the ITAG and the GTAGA, indicated that the work programme will focus on strengthening the monitoring and evaluation of inclusive trade policies to support evidence-based policymaking. The work programme also intends to promote the participation of under-represented groups in high value-added and technologically intensive sectors. Other areas of work include promoting the exchange of experiences on innovation, technology transfer, business incubators and export promotion programmes for women-led businesses.

Brazil and Chile updated members on the first bilateral evaluation of the Trade and Gender Chapter of the Chile-Brazil Free Trade Agreement, which entered into force in 2022. The joint study analysed the participation of women-led enterprises in bilateral merchandise exports between 2021 and 2024. According to the study, the value of exports by women-led companies in Brazil to Chile more than doubled, increasing from US$ 187 million in 2021 to over US$ 397 million in 2024. On the Chilean side, export diversification increased significantly, with the number of tariff lines exported by women-led enterprises rising from 428 to 542.

The Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry presented a range of initiatives aimed at supporting women entrepreneurs. The SheTrades Mongolia Hub, established in 2023, has reached more than 2,000 women entrepreneurs through networking, training and market access activities. Mongolia also highlighted its Women-Owned Certification Mark, designed to increase market opportunities of women-owned businesses. In addition, the WEIDE Fund is supporting 45 women entrepreneurs from six priority sectors in Mongolia to strengthen their export readiness, business growth and access to international markets through training and financial support.

Canada reported on two recent events aimed at advancing the trade and gender agenda. The first examined the role of gender-responsive standards in promoting safer, more inclusive and market-relevant products and services, while reducing barriers to trade. The second event, organized with Barbados and the United Nations Sanitation and Hygiene Fund to mark Global Menstrual Health Day, focused on improving the safety, affordability and visibility of menstrual products through trade policy, including ongoing efforts to strengthen product classification under the Harmonized System and develop international standards for menstrual products.

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