In a significant push to bolster female-led businesses, the head of Pakistan’s Intellectual Property Organization (IPO) on Tuesday called upon women entrepreneurs in Peshawar to urgently secure legal protection for their business logos, designs, and inventions, highlighting the critical role of intellectual property rights in achieving commercial success.

The detailed interactive session was steered by Ambassador Farukh Amil, Chairperson of IPO-Pakistan, as part of a continuing effort to advance women’s empowerment through enterprise. The event was held at the Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WCCI) in Peshawar.

Representing the chamber were its President, Ms. Quratulain, Senior Vice President Ms. Zara Imtiaz, and Vice President Ms. Zareen Akhtar. The audience comprised a large number of women business leaders from diverse industries, including food and agriculture, gemstones, textiles, and catering.

The discussion focused on enhancing awareness of IP rights and the procedures for obtaining legal safeguards for trademarks, designs, and patents. The participants were strongly encouraged to utilize available IP protection mechanisms to defend their innovations and brand identities.

Ambassador Amil prompted the businesswomen to act as “IP awareness multipliers” within their respective industries and networks. He also highlighted key resources, such as IPO-Pakistan’s dedicated Women Entrepreneurs Helpline and the comprehensive online training courses offered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva.

Concluding the engagement, an agreement was reached to organize follow-up training workshops in Peshawar. These sessions, to be conducted by senior technical experts from IPO-Pakistan, will aim to further strengthen the capacity of women entrepreneurs in protecting and leveraging their intellectual property.