Sierra Leone’s Administrator and Registrar General, Ms. Martina Baindu Egbenda, has strengthened the country’s international profile in intellectual property (IP) reform and gender-inclusive innovation following her participation at the 2026 Women and IP Symposium for IP Offices held in Geneva from 11–13 May 2026.
The high-level symposium, organised by the World Intellectual Property Organization (World Intellectual Property Organization) under its Gender Action Plan, brought together member states and global experts to advance women’s participation in intellectual property systems and innovation ecosystems.
Ms. Egbenda’s engagement at the forum was presented as part of Sierra Leone’s broader governance and gender reform agenda under President Julius Maada Bio, particularly the implementation of the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act 2022, which has significantly increased women’s representation in governance and public leadership structures.
According to the developments highlighted at the symposium, Sierra Leone has recorded over 30 percent female representation in Parliament, alongside growing participation of women in senior positions across government institutions.
The Geneva discussions covered a wide range of thematic areas, including the use of sex-disaggregated data in IP and innovation systems, the development of inclusive policy frameworks for women innovators and entrepreneurs, strengthening IP education for women and girls, expanding opportunities for women in artificial intelligence and the digital economy, and promoting public–private partnerships to support women-led innovation ecosystems.
During the sidelines of the symposium, Ms. Egbenda held bilateral discussions with the Director of the WIPO Academy, focusing on strengthening cooperation with Sierra Leone’s IP office and advancing institutional reforms aimed at positioning intellectual property as a driver of sustainable economic growth.
Speaking during the sessions, she called for more practical support tools for member states, urging WIPO to move beyond policy dialogue to implementation-oriented assistance.
“I believe WIPO can help member states by providing legal and administrative templates — such as fast-track procedures for women-led applications, model IP clauses that support women entrepreneurs, and guidelines for gender-responsive IP offices,” she stated.
She further emphasized the need to integrate intellectual property into broader national development frameworks, including gender strategies, STEM education, and entrepreneurship programmes, arguing that IP should not remain confined to technical or legal specialists.
In recent years, Sierra Leone has taken concrete steps to modernise its intellectual property landscape. These include efforts to establish a Collective Management Organisation to improve copyright administration and the introduction of Intellectual Property School Clubs as part of World Intellectual Property Day activities, aimed at raising awareness among young people.
Ms. Egbenda’s participation and engagements at the Geneva symposium are expected to pave the way for expanded technical assistance and capacity-building support from WIPO in the coming months, with anticipated follow-up engagements in Geneva and China focused on deepening IP cooperation and institutional strengthening.
