Thirty women entrepreneurs from six Pacific Island nations gathered for a three-day workshop focused on strengthening their export strategies.
The Pacific Women in Export Workshop, held from September 30 to October 2, aimed to equip women founders of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with the tools needed to expand into international markets, particularly the United Kingdom.
Participants engaged in high-level mentorship, peer-to-peer learning, and business collaboration sessions designed to identify and seize lucrative trade opportunities on the global stage.
Organised by the International Trade Centre’s United Kingdom Trade Partnerships Programme (UKTP), the event received support from Investment Fiji and the Women Entrepreneurs Business Council of Fiji. The initiative is part of UKTP’s broader efforts, funded by the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office of the UK, to bolster Pacific Island businesses in the export sector since 2019.
Jarmila Sarda, UKTP Programme Manager at the International Trade Centre—a joint agency of the United Nations and World Trade Organisation—emphasised the workshop’s role in empowering women entrepreneurs.
“We are implementing various trade promotion and capacity-building activities across the Pacific at different stages of the value chain,” she said.
Investment Fiji Chief Executive Officer Kamal Chetty said the organisation is committed to supporting the Pacific Women in Export Workshop.
“Through this workshop participants were empowered, particularly in small and medium-sized enterprises, by providing essential tools and mentorship to navigate international trade,” he added.
Chetty added that the workshop facilitated not only valuable learning experiences but also critical business collaborations that could lead to significant trade opportunities in the future.
