Yaoundé - Cameroon, from November 17-19, 2025 - Following a first series of training sessions in Douala last September, about twenty women and young girls engineers, researchers and students in STEM have begun a new three-day workshop, organized by the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) in partnership with UNFPA Cameroon .
A project that promotes gender equality to unleash women's entrepreneurial potential
This initiative is part of the "Economic Empowerment of Women through Innovation and Access to Intellectual Property" project, whose mission through these training programs is clear:
- Breaking down the stereotypes that hinder women's participation in technical and industrial sectors.
- Strengthening their skills in creativity, innovation and technology transfer
- Promote the exploitation of patents and the transformation of ideas into business opportunities.
By giving participants tools to better protect their creations and exploit intellectual property , the project aims to create an environment conducive to women's entrepreneurship and inclusive growth .
Why is this initiative crucial?
In a context where women are still underrepresented in key sectors of sustainable development , such achievements would promote
- The presence of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics).
- The full participation of women in the local and regional economy
- The birth of inspiring role models for future generations.
- Developing strategies for the commercial valuation of inventions
Towards an inclusive and sustainable economy
By training this "new wave" of innovative women, UNFPA Cameroon and OAPI are laying the foundations for an economic transformation where Intellectual Property becomes a lever for competitiveness and empowerment.
And after? After this session in Yaoundé dedicated to women and girls in technical fields, the project extends to the training of women entrepreneurs in the agribusiness sector, with the ambition of pooling efforts and creating synergies between the two groups for better competitiveness of their productions on the market.
