WIPO: Intellectual Property Protection Is Not Just a Legal Step—It Is a Pathway to Economic Empowerment for Women
WIPO: Intellectual Property Protection Is Not Just a Legal Step—It Is a Pathway to Economic Empowerment for Women
Cairo – 2025
Against the backdrop of rapid global innovation, Dr. Beatriz Amorim-Borher of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) highlighted a critical but often overlooked challenge facing women entrepreneurs: the global gap in intellectual property protection.
Speaking at the Regional Joint Forum on Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurship in Cairo, she revealed that only 60% of women-led ventures secure their IP rights, placing their ideas and innovations at significant risk of misuse or replication.
Dr. Amorim-Borher stressed that IP protection is not merely a legal formality—it is an economic empowerment tool that allows women to transform creativity into secure commercial assets. Without it, many women lose the competitive edge needed for sustainable business growth.
She noted that while women around the world are leading remarkable innovation journeys, a lack of guidance and awareness often prevents them from safeguarding their earliest and most valuable assets: their ideas.
WIPO continues to address this gap through global training initiatives, support platforms, and dedicated programs aimed at strengthening women’s presence in the innovation landscape and ensuring that their contributions receive the protection and recognition they deserve.