UNDP Donates to Rural Women Market Vendors
In recognising International Women’s Day, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) handed over 20 laptops, 20 portable printers and scanners for rural women market vendors in 13 Fijian municipalities. The handover is expected to directly benefit between 3000 to 4000 urban and rural market vendors and farmers. An estimated 75 per cent of whom women farmers trade at the 13 municipal markets around the central, western, northern and eastern provinces of Fiji, two municipal markets and five ring road markets in Vanuatu, and two municipal markets in Solomon Islands.
Commitment to supporting vulnerable groups
UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji resident representative Dawn Del Rio said the donation clearly demonstrated UNDP’s commitment to supporting inclusive growth policies and strategies aimed at increasing financial inclusion and reaching out to vulnerable groups such as rural women market vendors and farmers.
She said this support was a continuation of COVID-19 support, ensuring all market vendors across Fiji, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands were able to access online learnings. She said the celebration coincided with the handing-over of equipment to support online learnings or trainings for urban and rural market vendors and farmers as part of the Markets for Change Project or M4C.
She commended the Fiji Government, UN Women as M4C Project lead, project partners and donors - the Australian Government, Canadian Government and the New Zealand Government for their commitment and dedication, in ensuring that the vulnerable groups such as women, youth, and people living with disabilities were continuously supported during this “new normal” and unprecedented times.
“We applaud the strong partnership with partners and key stakeholders in its efforts to continuously promote and advocate for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls,” Ms Rio said.
“The Fiji Government must also be acknowledged for taking the lead in paving the way for partners and communities to collaborate with international organisations, non-governmental organisations, partners, donors, and communities in its efforts to eliminate poverty, and promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.
“This support will ensure that urban and rural market vendors and farmers under M4C have the resources they need, to constantly learn new ideas, methods or techniques to better serve their families, communities, and the nation.
Continuing to provide equal opportunities
Assistant Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Sashi Kiran said women made up 49.3 per cent of the total population, therefore we need to continue to provide women with equal opportunities as this can create an opportunity for their families to break the cycle of poverty and create an enabling environment for economic growth. “However, there is an enemy we must first defeat before women are able to equally contribute to our beloved nation and this enemy is ‘Gender inequality and discrimination’,” Ms Kiran said.
“The International Women’s Day calls for us to explore the impact of the digital gender gap on widening economic and social inequalities.”
The day was celebrated with representatives from Nausori and Suva market associations and UNDP staff. International Women’s Day is officially marked on March 8.