Grant aims to empower women

Women and girls in PNG, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands will benefit in grants of US$75,000 (K256,850) from the US ambassador’s small grants programme for women’s empowerment.
The programme would fund specific projects by local non-profit, non-governmental, community-based civil society organisations in PNG, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands. The embassy said the grants programme for women’s empowerment seeks to increase community-based organisations’ capacity to improve the welfare of women and girls in the three countries.
“It encourages projects that promote partnerships among two or more local organisations for a common goal, including young women as project implementers and/or target beneficiaries; incorporate the use of social media; and demonstrate innovative ways to address women’s issues,” the embassy said.
The programme aims to help women’s organisations build leadership, organisational and advocacy capacity so that they could increase their participation in building democratic development, provide economic empowerment and support to women entrepreneurs through financial literacy, training, and networking opportunities so that they may play a key role in their communities.
The programme grantees include Change for Life Foundation, Hope Worldwide PNG, Advancing PNG: Women Leaders Network, Sunshine Women’s Business Group, Living Spring Women’s Association, Meriday Health Education Services, Nimani Farmers’ Cooperative Society, PNG Australia Alumni, Sustainable Alluvial Mining Services and PNG Centre for Locally Managed Areas Inc.
YWCA Solomon Islands, Live & Learn Vanuatu, and Silae Vanua Market Vendors Association are grantees outside PNG.