Friday 08 / May / 2026
Muscat: The number of women who registered a patent with MoCIIP in Oman in 2020 reached 115 women, in single or joint applications, compared to 17 women in 2019.
This was stated by Engineer Ruqayya bint Mohsen Al-Harrasiah, Patent Specialist at the Intellectual Property Department at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion (MoCIIP).
Oman has announced the completion of the first phase of the evaluation process of the Sultanate in the project of strengthening the role of women in innovation skills.
The ministry said that the nomination of the Sultanate by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) to participate in the project of strengthening the role of women in innovation aims at enhancing the innovative capabilities of the participating countries.
This project aims to enhance the participation of inventor women in the national innovation system by supporting and increasing the opportunities for women in utilising the supporting chances, services and opportunities to create cooperation networks among the stakeholders of this project.
“The project of strengthening the role of women in innovation will continue for four years in cooperation with WIPO,” Engineer Ruqayya Al-Harrasiah said.
The completed first phase of the comprehensive evaluation process in the Sultanate included the availability of basic information on how to use the intellectual property (IP) system by female inventors, innovators and businesswomen in the Sultanate, identifying the challenges and obstacles facing the inventors and businesswomen innovators in utilising the IP system to protect and market their inventions, she pointed out.
“The evaluation process also includes the identification of challenges faced in attracting the attention of markets to women products, with its production based on implementing the intellectual property standards,” Engineer Ruqayya Al-Harrasiah said.
“It also includes the addition of the possibility of listing female volunteers, innovators, lawyers and businesswomen who would like to provide assistance to other female inventors and businesswomen,” she added.
She pointed out that the Intellectual property and development agenda of WIPO has addressed the issue of “Women and Intellectual Property”, where it recognized the importance of promoting opportunities for gender equality, empowering female innovators, and the importance of promoting a comprehensive and accessible IP system for all, to bridge the existing gender gaps in term of the intellectual property.
She emphasised that the current phase of the programme includes the implementation of many workshops and various activities in the innovation filed, intellectual property and entrepreneurship filed, to spread awareness on the innovation and technology culture among women.
Oman, representing the Arabian region, participated in this project along with other countries including Mexico, Pakistan and Uganda.
