New Market Vendor Association established in Munda

[Press release]

Participants. Photo: UN Women/Ednah Ramoau

Gizo, Solomon Islands – Women market vendors of Munda, in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands have established a Market Vendor Association, an inclusive and effective representative marketplace group that can advocate for the rights and interests of market vendors.

More than 35 market vendors came together in Munda this week to go through some basic training around the formation of an association. Topics covered included the benefits of having such a representative body, and the governance and management of an association.

“As a market vendor here in Munda for about 10 years now, this is the first time I am witnessing an attempt to unite us as market vendors. Having this association makes sense – we need to work together for change to happen,” Florence Rove, chair of the newly-formed Munda Market Vendors Association said.

The new Munda Market Vendor Association will also be a platform for providing financial literacy and business skills training to women market vendors are implemented. Munda will be the fourth association in the Solomon Islands.

Sandra Bernklau, the UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office Representative, said: “We celebrate this milestone with Munda market vendors because this is the beginning of transformational change for these women vendors. We also acknowledge and recognize the support that market vendor associations have provided to markets to ensure that they remain operational during the COVID 19 period.  Market vendor associations are spaces for women demonstrating the positive impacts of women in leadership.”

The M4C project brings together governments, market vendors and market vendor associations, civil society organizations and UN agencies to promote gender equality through the economic empowerment of women market vendors in Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. M4C is implemented by UN Women in partnership with UNDP and the Governments of Australia, Canada and New Zealand.