adminH-Metro Reporter
A large number of women are shaping the world through their innovations and hard work but making up a small percentage of ownership of creative work, a research has shown.
This was revealed during this year’s commemorations of the World Intellectual Property Day (WIPD) Bulawayo.
The Companies and Intellectual Property Office of Zimbabwe (CIPZ), African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), and Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation in Africa (AfrIPI) participated at the event.
This year’s commemorations were held under the global theme “Women and IP: Accelerating Innovation and Creativity.”
The event was attended by the Chief Registrar of CIPZ, Mr Willie Mushayi, the Director General of ARIPO, Mr Bemanya Twebaze and the team leader of AfrIPI, Ms Aida Galindo.
Justice Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, permanent secretary, Mrs Virginia Mabiza, was the guest of honour.
The research conducted by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) revealed that although a large number of women are shaping the world through their innovations and hard work, they make up a small percentage of the statistics indicating ownership of creative work.
These IP titles, which also translate into financial gain, are important in the realisation of gender parity goals. The barriers creating this reality are even more prevalent in Africa.
IP Organisations like CIPZ, ARIPO and AfrIPI have the mandate to push awareness of such IP rights and the development opportunities that are created by knowledge-based economies.
CIPZ, ARIPO, and AfrIPI have collaborated to leverage their influence and synergies as intellectual property experts locally, within the African Region, and globally.
As one of the 22 Member States of ARIPO, Zimbabwe has benefitted immensely through the inter-governmental organisation’s pooling of resources at a global scale to support African countries to grow and develop in the intellectual property sector.
The Government of Zimbabwe, through CIPZ, has encouraged all women in every sector of business, including micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, to take this opportunity to gather enough information about intellectual property and understand how they can protect their intellectual property as guided by our laws and constitution.
The world’s economic system is quickly migrating towards the knowledge-based model, which is synonymous with intellectual property.
It is with this observation as a nation that the government calls upon everyone in Zimbabwe to patent their inventions, register their trade marks and deposit their copyrights.
As the annual WIPD celebrations coincide with the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, members of the public are encouraged to also visit the CIPZ, ARIPO and AfrIPI exhibition stands to learn more about IP rights and registration.
2023 marks 23 years since World IP Day was instated by Member States of WIPO in 2000, with the aim of increasing general awareness and understanding of IP.
Since then, Zimbabwe has joined the rest of the world in celebrating the one-day observance on the 26 April every year.
The Companies and Intellectual Property Office of Zimbabwe values this day as it provides a platform to promote an in-depth understanding of the contribution of intellectual property to the economy and changing livelihoods.
As Zimbabwe celebrates World Intellectual Property Day, we are reminded to continue pushing for collective and transformative actions to reset the balance between women and men to create a better future for all.
The theme, ‘Women and IP: Accelerating Innovation and Creativity’, highlights the need to encourage women to register their intellectual property to protect their ideas and realise the monetary value to improve their livelihoods.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter