The U.S. Embassy in Suva, in partnership with the Women Entrepreneurs Business Council (WEBC) and Makoi Women’s Vocational Center, this week launched the fifth year of the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program in Fiji.
The embassy has committed US $43,300 (FJD 95,000) to support women business owners from Fiji’s Central, Northern, and Western Divisions.
Ambassador Marie C. Damour highlighted the initiative’s importance, stating, “With today’s event, the United States is proud to continue our support for an inclusive, prosperous Pacific. The 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent identifies economic development as one of its key thematic areas, and we join your leaders in our commitment to empower women to be active participants in economic life.”
AWE provides women entrepreneurs with essential knowledge, networks, and resources to start and grow their businesses. Seven facilitators from WEBC and Makoi guide participants through a program that combines the online training platform “DreamBuilder” with in-person mentoring. This platform, developed by Arizona State University and Freeport-McMoRan, teaches core business skills, which are then adapted to Fiji’s local context by facilitators and AWE alumni.
Since 2020, 457 women have graduated from AWE in Fiji. The program has helped over 90 percent of alumnae increase their confidence and acquire strategic planning and public speaking skills.
