Intellectual property rights as a tool for bridging gender gap: approaches and prospects under the African Union.

This article examines the integration of intellectual property rights (IPRs) within the African Union's (AU) women's empowerment initiatives, arguing that current AU frameworks insufficiently incorporate IPRs as tools to bridge the gender gap. It highlights the socio-economic and cultural challenges African women face in accessing and benefiting from the IPR system, despite the recognized role of IPRs in fostering innovation, creativity, and economic empowerment. The article reviews key AU legal instruments and policies—such as the Maputo Protocol, the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) protocols—finding that while these promote gender equality broadly, they lack explicit strategies for leveraging IPRs to empower women. It recommends that the AU adopt a gender-conscious continental IPR agenda, establish support structures for women in IP, reconsider IP legal principles to reflect women's contributions (including co-ownership in matrimonial contexts), and conduct a comprehensive continental IP needs assessment to better integrate IPRs into gender equality efforts.