EPO Welcomes 201 Girls to Girls' Day 2026
Summary
The European Patent Office welcomed 201 girls aged 11 to 15 to its sites in The Hague, Munich, and Vienna on 14, 16, and 23 April 2026 to celebrate Girls' Day, an international initiative encouraging girls to explore STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers. Participants came from 15 locally based schools and represented 48 nationalities, including 24 EU Member States as well as countries across Africa, the Americas, and Asia. This was the eighth consecutive year EPO participated in the initiative, which aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality.
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What changed
The European Patent Office hosted its eighth annual Girls' Day event across three European sites, welcoming 201 girls from 15 schools and 48 nationalities to participate in hands-on STEM workshops and connect with women inventors and scientists. The event featured sessions including a presentation by 2024 Young Inventors Prize finalist Khaoula Ben Ahmed, a creative physics workshop led by Barbora Mikulecka of the European Inventor Network, and presentations from young astronomers at the European Southern Observatory.\n\nGirls' Day is an international initiative supported by the UN Sustainable Development Goals that aims to promote gender balance in STEM fields. Since 2019, EPO has participated in this initiative to make STEM careers and innovation more accessible to young women. The event had no compliance obligations and was purely informational and promotional in nature.
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Apr 24, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
News
Girls’ Day 2026
24.04.2026
On 14, 16 and 23 April, the European Patent Office (EPO) welcomed 201 girls aged 11 to 15 to its sites in The Hague, Munich and, for the first time, Vienna to celebrate Girls’ Day. Participants came from 15 locally based schools and represented 48 nationalities, including 24 Member States, as well as countries across Africa, the Americas, and Asia.
For the eighth consecutive year, the EPO took part in this international initiative, which encourages girls to explore opportunities in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
Hands-on learning and inspiration
Through hands-on workshops combining technology and creativity, participants explored the worlds of innovation and science, connected with inventors and women in STEM, and broadened their perspectives.Girls exchanged ideas with Khaoula Ben Ahmed, finalist of the 2024 Young Inventors Prize, in Munich and The Hague, and took part in a creative physics workshop led by Barbora Mikulecka, member of the European Inventor Network, in Vienna.
In The Hague, participants discovered geothermal energy in a presentation by the Energy Cave, while in Munich they gained a glimpse” into infinity and beyond” with two young women astronomers from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) who shared insights into their work and career paths.
Encouraging ambition and inclusion
The Mayor of Rijswijk, Huri Sahin , joined the event in The Hague, accompanied by eight Children’s Rights Ambassadors. She highlighted the importance of inclusion and empowerment in STEM education and encouraged participants to pursue their ambitions.
“Everyone gave us a lot of their positive energy and knowledge but also taught many of us about confidence and not giving up,” said one participant.
“I learned a lot more about other people’s experience and creativity with science, which I found really motivational,” said another participant.
A continued commitment
Since 2019, the EPO has taken part in the international Girls‘ Day initiative, helping to make STEM careers and the spirit of innovation more accessible and inspiring for girls. Connecting young learners with opportunities in science and technology supports long-term gender balance in STEM and contributes to the **** UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 5 on gender equality.
A heartfelt thank you to all the colleagues who volunteered and made this edition of Girls’ Day a successful and inspiring experience!
Further information
European Inventor Network 2024 Young Inventors Prize finalist Khaoula Ben Ahmed Children's Rights Ambassadors UN Sustainable Development Goals
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