The countries with the most women inventors in the world

2023-08-26 19:10:21

An issue that has been under discussion for decades is the inequality of opportunities in science. Because Medicine is one of its branches, it is an aspect that you can appreciate within your environment. Since its inception it has been an area dominated by men and although now it is different, a true balance has not yet been reached. But although it is a global problem, there are some cases that stand out because they are the countries with the most women inventors in the world.

The woman who paved the way in Medicine

In this regard, it is necessary to remember that although Medicine is a profession that has existed for centuries, the first woman to obtain a diploma occurred quite recently and was Elizabeth Blackwell.

It was on February 11, 1849 when she received the title that accredited her as the first female doctor in the United States and throughout the world. Although it may seem ordinary today, by the time she lived she became a real feat. Although perhaps unintentionally, she was responsible for opening the way so that millions of women could dedicate themselves to Medicine without prejudice.

However, based on the statistics of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) already sees some changes with respect to international patent applications filed each year. Data shows that while the gender gap in innovation is closing, progress is very slow as men still account for a large majority of names associated with patented inventions around the world.

As you point out Statesmanthe proportion of women inventors has increased steadily in recent decades, in 2021 they only represented 17% of the persons designated as inventors in international patent applications.

The country that is an example for the rest

Among the countries with more women inventors, Cuba stands out with an average of ten a year, although it is still modest compared to other economies. The Latin American country leads the ranking of nations with the highest proportion of female inventors, with 53% women associated with inventions filed in 2021. This is followed by the Philippines (38%) and Portugal (34%), while four others Spanish-speaking countries are among the top eleven out of a total of 74 countries studied. These are Costa Rica and Peru, both with 29% women inventors, and Chile and Spain, with 26% each.

In contrast, in economies such as the United States, Germany or Japan, with reputations for innovation, women are particularly underrepresented in patent applications. The proportion of female inventors was only 16%, 12% and 10% in these three countries, all below the world average.