WIPO Participates in WTO-ITC Event, Empowering Women Entrepreneurs
March 5, 2024
Abu Dhabi, 24–25 February 2024
Exciting updates have emerged from the recent high-level event on Women and Trade, organized by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the International Trade Center (ITC) in Abu Dhabi.
WIPO's engagement at the event underscored its commitment to empowering women entrepreneurs and fostering innovation through intellectual property (IP) education and support. With a focus on assisting entrepreneurs and small businesses in understanding the benefits of IP, WIPO showcased its various initiatives and resources.
At the event, WIPO hosted a booth that featured demonstrations of international trademark and design application systems, alongside the WIPO IP Diagnostics tool. This free, self-evaluation tool aids businesses in identifying their IP strategy and assets by guiding them through a series of questions, serving as one of many resources provided by WIPO to enhance understanding of IP rights.
WIPO representatives, Ms. Tamara Nanayakkara, Mr. Max Germeil and Ms. Nancy Pignataro, conducted a successful workshop and master class on IP and business competitiveness. The workshop session offered a more personalized exchange for a selected group of entrepreneurs, while the master class, featured insightful testimonies from inspired entrepreneurs Teodora Pecanac and Peserverance Muzeya, highlighting the pivotal role of IP in their businesses' growth.
The event's climax was the ITC SheTrades Innovation Festival, where WIPO congratulated innovators Zein Altawil, Medina Ali, Granny Lesiamang, and Eden Tadesse, with special recognition for Yafonia Hutabarat from Indonesia, co-founder of PetaNetra. PetaNetra is an app designed to assist the visually impaired in navigating independently, earning Hutabarat the festival's top honor.
Ms. Dalila Hamou, WIPO’s Director of External Relations, announced WIPO’s commitment to offering a mentoring program on IP strategy to the five selected women innovators, further demonstrating WIPO's dedication to supporting entrepreneurs worldwide in realizing the full potential of their intellectual property.
For more information about WIPO's initiatives and resources for entrepreneurs and small businesses, including the WIPO IP Diagnostics tool, visit: WIPO's website.