Issues and Challenges faced by Women Innovators

Abstract

Innovation and creativity have become engine of economic and social growth around the globe. But innovative culture cannot grow without a balanced and equitable system of protection. Intellectual Property (IP) system provides this protection and hence push the growth of knowledge economy and entrepreneurship. However, desired level of economic development cannot be achieved without empowering women. In countries like Pakistan women entrepreneurship could not grow despite all their successes in academic and research fields. Women inventors and innovators could not use IP system to protect and to commercialize their innovative products. The purpose of the research was to unfold the societal and institutional discrimination inhibiting women entrepreneurship in Pakistan leading to deaccelerating economic development. Qualitative tools were used for the research. Interviews, semi-structured interview were conducted to collect data which was analyzed to solve the problem statement. Locale of research was IPO Pakistan and the subject of research was kept to protection and commercialization of inventions and innovations of women in Pakistan. It has identified factors either personal, institutional, policy level, societal or cultural which create hindrance to protect their IPRs and to get economic benefits of their rights. This research also aims to find out a workable solution to address this issues and challenges of women innovators and encourage women entrepreneurship in Pakistan. Furthermore, by promoting innovative culture among women would not only improve the economic growth but also bring the much-needed social change. Keywords Innovation, Women Empowerment, Entrepreneurship, IP System, Intellectual