Banks join forces to help village women

 THE Nationwide Microbank and the Asian Development Bank have agreed to join forces to assist women in two small fishing villages in NCD to gain entrepreneurial skills and sell their produce.

The partnership was forged in a memorandum of understanding signed this week to support a new Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative (PSDI) pilot project, empowering women in fishing production. 

“The pilot project aims to economically empower women in the fishing sector by linking the loans available through Nationwide Microbank with technical assistance provided by PSDI,” gender specialist Vijaya Nagarajan said. 

“This assistance will be in the form of skills training and business development as well as accessing supply outlets.” 

The focus this year will be on two Motu-Koitabu villages in NCDC – Darahasi Kirakira Women’s Ministry of Vabukori village and Kagora Women’s Association of Hanuabada village, as well as business women from each of these villages. 

The women have been full participants in the planning process and the pilots are scheduled to begin operation in next month.

The pilots will use funds provided by the National Fisheries Authority through the Fisheries Credit Scheme.

PSDI will work with the NFA to develop the pilot programme, extending it to women-owned, medium-sized fisheries businesses. PSDI will  engage other key stakeholders to help women participating to access secure market spaces for their produce.

The project is being undertaken through PSDI’s Economic Empowerment of Women programme, which is rolling out other pilots designed to remove barriers to women’s entry and participation in business and the private sector.

PSDI is a regional technical assistance facility co-financed by the ADB, Australian Aid, and the New Zealand Aid Programme.