Nabilah S
During her address at the 2024 Women Invigorating the Nation Convention, Minister Lynda Tabuya underscored the stark reality that only 19% of businesses are owned by women, with the majority being micro-enterprises.
She emphasized the formidable challenges women entrepreneurs encounter, including limited access to finance, insufficient collateral, technological barriers, and entrenched gender biases. These hurdles, compounded by societal norms and discriminatory structures, impede their business expansion.
Minister Tabuya also highlighted the pervasive impact of gender-based violence, both offline and online, along with health issues such as breast and cervical cancer, which disproportionately affect Fijian women and hinder their full participation in the economy and decision-making processes.
During the 2024 Women Invigorating the Nation Convention at the Grand Pacific Hotel, Minister for Women, Children, and Social Protection, Lynda Tabuya, emphasized the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs. She pointed out that only 19 percent of businesses are owned by women, with most being micro-enterprises. Women encounter obstacles such as limited access to finance, inadequate collateral, technological barriers, and prevailing gender biases.
These challenges, compounded by social norms and discriminatory structures, hinder their business growth. Additionally, women’s engagement in the economy and decision-making processes is impeded by issues like gender-based violence and health concerns such as breast and cervical cancer, which are leading causes of death for Fijian women.
