Centre giving women a link to the world

THE idea of having strength in numbers, especially for small businesses, was the basis to starting the Pacifika Women Network trade centre which opened last week in Port Moresby.
There is also a need for women to break down social barriers and support each other in business ventures, says founder Ruth Undi.
“I have been observing that women are contained in their own groups or networks.
“They often lack the confidence to step out to connect groups, to connect with other networks.
“That’s why I started this Pacifika Women Network. This trade centre will become the hub of the Pacific where women’s business will be promoted. In the future they will have access to business tools. I want women to do business in the comfort of their stalls.”
About 40 small to medium-sized enterprises have set up shops and are operating from Pacifika Women’s Network Trade Centre in Waigani.
Undi said the demand from women to do business was so strong that stalls were fully booked before they wre built.
“We want to create a platform where women in the Solomon Islands can sell to a buyer in Fiji through networking,” she said.
“It’s an ambitious vision but visions are like this, if we can achieve collectively, it will address women-related issues across many sectors and most importantly it gives women and families an opportunity to improve their quality of life.”