Windhoek: The Business and Intellectual Property Authority (BIPA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, launched a program on Thursday to strengthen intellectual property (IP) skills and awareness among women entrepreneurs through the EntreprenHer initiative.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the EntreprenHer programme, led by BIPA, is designed to assist women entrepreneurs with product branding, marketing strategies, business projections, and the licensing and protection of intellectual property, especially trademarks and copyright. This initiative was introduced during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the ministry and BIPA, focusing on intellectual property support.

Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, Emma Kantema, highlighted that the collaboration aims to empower women entrepreneurs and promote intellectual property rights. 'The coordination effort aims to promote and facilitate economic development through an enhanced understanding, management, and promotion of intellectual property rights in Namibia to complement national development priorities aimed at economically empowering women micro-entrepreneurs in Namibia,' Kantema stated.

She emphasized that the strategies outlined in the MoU would play a crucial role in formalising women-owned businesses and commercializing their intellectual property. BIPA Chief Executive Officer Aina Kaundu elaborated that the training aims to transform intellectual property from a theoretical concept into a practical business asset with market access potential.

'The objective is to reposition intellectual property from a technical, intellectual, academic concept into a strategic business asset that drives competitiveness, differentiation and market access, and enables entrepreneurs to commercialise and derive value from their businesses,' Kaundu explained.

Kaundu further noted that Namibia has more than 27,000 female-owned businesses operating at grassroots level across sectors rich in intellectual property, including agriculture, textiles, cosmetics, and the creative industries. She added that women entrepreneurs play a significant role in community development, actively contributing to socio-economic growth at the local level.