Women Inventors & Patents: From the First Patents to Modern Trailblazers

As we mark another International Women’s Day, it’s important to recognise how women’s contributions to innovation have shaped our world — often despite systemic barriers. From early pioneers like Mary Dixon Kies to today’s scientists and engineers, the path for women inventors has been hard-won yet steadily advancing. This blog traces that journey, shows where progress has been made, and highlights how much further we still have to go.

A Landmark Beginning: Mary Dixon Kies and the First Woman’s Patent

In 1809 Mary Dixon Kies received what is widely regarded as the first U.S. patent granted to a woman. Her invention involved a method of weaving straw with silk or thread to make hats — a useful improvement at a time when domestic hat-making was a key trade, especially after embargoes disrupted imports during the Napoleonic Wars. 

That patent came at a turbulent time. Legal and social restrictions often limited women’s ability to own property or run businesses independently. Yet Kies moved forward and secured IP protection under her own name. Her work helped sustain the New England hat industry during a period of economic strain. 

Sadly, the original documents of her patent were destroyed in the Patent Office fire of 1836. Despite that, her place in history remains. She was posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2006. 

Kies’s story matters not only as a historical footnote. It stands as a testament to the spirit of innovation and a reminder that every inventor deserves to be recognised, regardless of gender.

The Slow Climb: Women’s Patents Through the 19th and Early 20th Century

The early decades following Kies’s patent were not kind to women inventors. Between 1800 and 1899, of roughly 681,000 U.S. patents granted, only about 4,000 (0.6%) were held by women. 

By 1840, only around 20 patents had been issued to women. Most early women patentees focused on products like apparel, household tools, cook stoves — practical inventions aligned with what society permitted women to do at the time. 

Moreover, records from the era are incomplete. A famous historical catalogue of women patentees known as the “List of Women Patentees (LWP)” is known to underreport actual numbers. In one year (1876), researchers found that for every four women inventors, one was omitted from the official list. 

This under-counting reflects broader social obstacles: women’s work often went undocumented, undervalued, or ignored. Many inventions by women went unpatented simply because the system wasn’t built to recognise them.

Modern Progress but Gaps Remain

Fast forward to the 21st century, and the picture has improved — though the gender gap remains significant. In the United States, the share of women among new inventors receiving patents rose from about 5 % in 1980 to around 17.3 % by 2019. 

Patents that list at least one woman as inventor increased from 20.7 % in 2016 to 21.9 by end-2019. 

Globally, published applications under the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) show increasing female participation. In 2024, women accounted for 18 % of all inventors listed in published PCT applications, up from 11.6 % in 2010. 

Fields such as biotechnology, food chemistry, and pharmaceuticals tend to have higher shares of women inventors; in 2024, women made up over 30 % of inventors in published PCT applications in food chemistry and biotech. 

Even so, women remain under-represented overall. In 2023, only 17.7 % of inventors listed in published international patent applications were women. 

A 2024 report published by the World Economic Forum calls attention to persistent disparities. Although women are making gains, especially in design and chemistry patents, men still dominate overall patenting activity. 

What’s Holding Back Gender Parity in Patents

Why is progress so slow? Historic and systemic barriers continue to have lasting effects. For many decades, women lacked access to formal education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. They also had limited access to funding, networks, and resources needed to translate ideas into patented inventions.

Studies have shown that institutional factors may compound these challenges. A recent paper argued that women inventors face structural disadvantages during patent evaluation: unconventional innovations proposed by women are more likely to be rejected when assessed by examiners, especially when the examiner is also a woman. 

Lack of mentorship, limited representation in leadership, and lower visibility of women’s innovations contribute to a cycle where fewer women apply for patents, and fewer succeed. Under-reporting or omission of women’s names in early patent registries also set precedents that undervalue women’s inventive output. 

The Importance of Women in Innovation 

Why does this matter? Innovation shapes the future of industries, health, sustainability, and society at large. When women are underrepresented among inventors, half of humanity’s perspectives, experiences, and creative potential remain under-leveraged.

More women inventors means more diversity in problem-solving, product design, and technological vision. Data suggests that inventions involving women inventors often include more scientific knowledge and broader impact. 

For IP firms, companies, and institutions, supporting women inventors is not just a matter of fairness — it’s smart business and future-ready strategy. Encouraging mentorship, improving application support, and ensuring equitable evaluation can unlock new waves of innovation.

Celebrating Women Inventors — Past, Present, Future

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, it’s worth pausing to honour pioneers like Mary Dixon Kies, whose courage helped crack open the doors of formal invention for women.

It’s also an opportunity to spotlight the growing number of women driving patents today: researchers in biotech, engineers in design, scientists improving sustainability, and entrepreneurs building fresh ideas.

Finally, it’s a call to action. We must continue to challenge the structures that slow progress. We must support mentorship, remove access barriers, and advocate for inclusive patenting processes. Each patent by a woman is more than an IP asset. It’s a step toward a more equitable, creative, and dynamic world.