On Monday, September 29, 2025, the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA Cameroon) launched the first phase of the AFPI Project – Women's Economic Empowerment through Innovation and Access to Intellectual Property – in Douala, Cameroon. This innovative program aims to build bridges between the technical skills of women scientists and the local know-how of women agribusiness entrepreneurs, fostering the co-creation of innovative solutions while contributing to economic and social development.
Workshops to strengthen skills and promote female talent
The project's initial phase began with a series of training workshops targeting two key groups: young female engineers and female entrepreneurs in the agribusiness sector. Each two-day workshop focused on skills development, mentoring, and networking, aiming to equip participants with the legal and commercial tools necessary to transform their expertise into sustainable competitive assets in the market.
Promoting local expertise and structuring activities around a commercial identity
The first workshop, launched on September 29, was dedicated to women in technical and technological fields with the aim of equipping them with the creative process, the exploitation of patents, the transfer of technologies and raising their awareness of the importance of protecting industrial property (trademarks, patents, industrial designs and models, trade name and geographical indications) in order to enhance local products, secure their innovations and strengthen their position in the markets.
The workshop for women in agribusiness, which opened on October 1st , focused on supporting participants in the strategic use of intellectual property to protect their products, enhance their expertise, and structure their businesses around a strong brand identity. It also aimed to identify the challenges they face, understand their needs and expectations, and propose concrete solutions to facilitate their access to markets and value chains.
A fruitful meeting which concluded on October 3rd, with a joint day designed to promote synergy of actions between the target groups.
A project with national reach
Ultimately, the AFPI project plans to train nearly 260 women in four regions of Cameroon: Douala, Ngaoundéré, Yaoundé, and Dschang. This initiative is part of an inclusive vision of development, where intellectual property becomes a tool for empowerment and social transformation.
📍 Next stop: Ngaoundéré, from October 27 to 31, 2025
