Market Vendors Overcoming Barriers to Women’s Economic Empowerment

Fiji and Pacific Islands — Leaders of market vendor associations (MVAs) joined government ministers and other Pacific partners to discuss progress on women’s economic empowerment (WEE) at the 13th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women and 6th Meeting of Ministers for Women being held in Suva, Fiji from 2-6 October, 2017.

Women leaders of Market Vendor Associations from Fiji, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands with UN Women and UNDP presenting on Markets for Change at the Triennial Conference in Suva.(left to right: Sandra Bernklau, Leisavi Joel, Melody Leo, Aleta Miller, Maureen Sariki, Preeya Ieli, Janet Ramo (sitting), Varanisese Maisamoa, Lako Ogotia and Christina Bare-Karae (sitting).Photo: UN Women/Caitlin Clifford

The MVAs are part of UN Women’s Markets for Change (M4C) project - a six-year initiative principally funded by the Australian Government, and implemented in partnership with UN Development Programme (UNDP) – that aims to ensure marketplaces in rural and urban areas of Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu are safe, inclusive and non-discriminatory, promoting gender equality and women’s economic empowerment. 

“M4C is a unique programme globally as it addresses many of the inter-related and complex barriers and issues that women face in order to advance economically – this reflects the complexities of women’s lives,” said Sandra Bernklau, UN Women Regional Technical Specialist.

Approximately 80 percent of all market vendors in the Pacific are women, and their earnings make up a significant portion of income for many poor households. In spite of this women are often excluded from market governance and decision-making.

Market vendor associations (MVA) are one way of improving working conditions for women, enabling them to be active agents of change and leaders in their local communities - with economic successes benefiting not only the women, but also their children, extended families and the community.

Janet Ramo, President of Auki MVA in Solomon Islands stated “we struggled with saving – this was not part of our life and culture – the MVA took the initiative to provide a safe way that was easy to practice in the market with savings and loans to see what works. We also have a loan scheme that uses traditional shell money for loans.”

The M4C project provides training and support in financial literacy, access to financial services, improved agricultural skills and market infrastructure as well as the creation and strengthening of representative marketplace groups – thus enhancing the roles and influence of women market vendors.

Leisavi Joel, Vice-President of Silae Vanua MVA in Vanuatu, spoke about changes she has experienced as a result of being part of a market vendors association saying “now I have the courage to go to the office of the government to talk – before I was afraid to do it, I didn’t know what to say.”

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) M4C Project Staff Veronika Manoa said “UNDP encourages financial providers to bring their services closer to the market, to make it easier for vendors to access.”“Market vendors are learning from keeping financial records, such as profitability of each product, which can target their sales more - and they have started to diversify their product offerings to differentiate themselves from competitors,” added Ms Manoa.

Maureen Sariki, President of Honiara Market Vendor Association in the Solomon Islands speaking at the Triennial Conference in Suva.Photo: UN Women/Caitlin Clifford

Maureen Sariki, President of Honiara MVA in Solomon Islands said “MVAs have asked banking institutions to change their products to to suit market vendors who have not had a lot of education– telling [the banks] to come out of your office to the marketplace.”

“This resulted in BSP coming to the market to open accounts and receive deposits and a machine is now at the market for vendors to access cash,” added Ms Sariki.

MVAs have been an effective way of increasing women’s participation, leadership and access to services and support in their workplace.

“Now the government is recognising the important role that women play in Rakiraki market with the MVA meeting with Council on the design of the new market after Tropical Cyclone Winston,” said Varanisese Maisamoa, President of Rakiraki MVA in Fiji.

Preeya Ieli, Women’s Economic Empowerment Programme Specialist, UN Women reported progress on market infrastructure as “governments where M4C projects are operating, are now supporting accommodation centres at markets which will house rural women, who come to the market to sell their produce over the weekend, to have a safe centre to spend their night as opposed to sleeping in the open alongside their produce.”

Women’s economic empowerment is the theme of the 13th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women and the 6th Meeting of Ministers for Women being held in Suva, Fiji, from 2-6 October 2017, primarily coordinated by ‘conference secretariat’ the Pacific Community (SPC), in collaboration with the multi-partner ‘steering committee’, and principally supported by the Australian Government.

The Triennial Conference is bringing together decision-makers within Pacific governments, development partners, research institutions and civil society organisations to share experiences; reflect on progress and challenges; identify strategic and practical measures; and make recommendations towards achieving gender equality and a full realisation of women’s human rights in the Pacific.