Fiji’s First National Women’s Expo was a gateway to promoting the Fijian made products for increased export market, said the Minister for Social Welfare, Women and Poverty Alleviation Dr Jiko Luveni.
The Expo held last week saw a gathering of 499 women’s groups from around Fiji to sell products made using local resources, skills and talents.
The Ministry of Women in partnership with Ministry of Industry and Trade had also organised guided tour programs for companies such as ANZ, Westpac, Tappoo’s, Trade Pasifika, Courts Fiji Limited, Punja and Sons, Vodafone ATH Foundation, Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association, UN Women, LICI, Fiji Export Council, Fiji Airways, Fiji/USA Business Council and the Diplomats of the various Foreign Embassies, to see the locally made products on display at the Expo.
Dr Luveni said the Expo is a new platform to attract potential buyers and export agents interested in buying Fiji’s locally made products.
“The women’s expo links the sellers of the Fijian Made products with that of the potential buyers. As artisans, there are needed skills to perfect the quality of your products for the export market. We will work with you to get there, in partnership with relevant government agencies, partners and financial institutions, we will be following up with your groups to see where we can assist or work with you for the export market. This is the road to building resilience in our lives and pursue self-reliance for our families,” Dr Luveni said.
“I challenge you ladies now, when you go back and prepare for the second National Women’s Expo that you remember what Bambi Shen said, ‘When you do something, be very good at it that someone is willing to pay you for it,’” she added.
Westpac bank manager sustainability, Ms Eseta Nadakuitavuki, who took a tour of the Expo, said Fijian women have promising talents that could take Fiji’s economy to a higher level.
“I must congratulate the Women’s Ministry in particular Dr Luveni for initiating this wonderful marketing arena for rural women. After taking a tour of all the displays, I noticed a lot of creativity and quality products that are good enough for export and we do have local buyers that will buy these products and Westpac believes that with the concerted efforts from all the stakeholders we should be able to lift the local talents to another level,” Ms Nadakuitavuki said.
“Some of these products have the potential to receive good export market prices and it is just a matter of fine tuning in terms of packaging to ensure these products meet the standard and quality that overseas markets are searching for. Many of these products have local look and taste, which can be very well linked to Fiji’s lucrative tourism sector,” she explained.
In June this year, the Ministry of Women entered into a new partnership with the Westpac Bank Fiji to provide financial literacy and business skills training to women and micro entrepreneurs from low income households.
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