Markets for Change: Empowerment of Women in the Pacific Islands

The project aims to promote gender equality and the social and economic empowerment of women vendors across Pacific Island markets. It is designed to ensure that selected marketplaces in rural and urban areas in Fiji Solomon Islands and Vanuatu are safe inclusive and non-discriminatory environments promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment. Project activities include: (1) working with market vendors to support inclusive market vendors associations ; (2) delivering training on basic financial literacy and business skills tailored to the specific needs of the identified women market vendors; (3) providing training to local government and market management to improve market management structures and processes; (4) assessing the needs of women and children in regard to childcare and nursing facilities health and safety; and (5) improving infrastructure through the renovation and development of market facilities such as washrooms and dormitories.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) created and supported inclusive effective and representative marketplace groups; (2) improved socio-economic security of women market vendors; (3) supported local government and market management to be effective and accountable to women market vendor needs; and (4) improved physical infrastructure and operating systems to make markets more sustainable more resilient to disaster risks and climate change safer and more accessible. sustainable more resilient to disaster risks and climate change safer and more accessible.