Samoan support group strengthens women’s business skills

The Samoa Victim Support Group is working to strengthen the business skills of nofotane women entrepreneurs through a project funded by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia (UN ESCAP).

Titled, The SVSG/ESCAP Nofotane Business Development Training, the Project’s goal is to economically empower 100 current or aspiring Nofotane woman entrepreneurs from remote or rural areas of Samoa, by providing them with critical skills for business sustainability.

The Project is supported by ESCAP’s Catalysing Women’s Entrepreneurship (CWE) programme, funded by Global Affairs Canada, as part of the programme’s efforts to enhance the economic empowerment of rural and remote indigenous women entrepreneurs.

The Project began in November 2023 and will be ongoing for six months, working to economically empower 100 nofotane women under SVSG’s Nofotane Programme.

To achieve this goal, the Project will undertake the following:

1. Develop and pilot three business modules in the priority areas critical to Nofotane women operating small/micro businesses – Financial Literacy for Nofotane Women, including accessing finance, Marketing Nofotane Products and Quality of Nofotane Products.

1. Deliver the business development modules during a two-day workshop for 20 women in Savaii and 80 women in Upolu.

1. Award seed funding of US$500 each to six (6) selected Nofotane women entrepreneurs who have a good business case to expand their existing small business or open up a new small business making Nofotane products.

1. Provide the six (6) awardees of the Seed Funding winners with mentorship/coaching sessions delivered by the SVSG Village Representatives

1. Conduct an impact evaluation exercise

The progress of SVSG’s work with the nofotane women highlights the organization’s commitment to the prevention of violence through economic empowerment.  The Project also supports ESCAP’s work to break down barriers experienced by women entrepreneurs in establishing, managing and developing an enterprise.  Furthermore, the Project is aligned to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals of No Poverty, Gender Equality, Quality Education, Decent Work and Economic Growth, and Reduced Inequalities.

According to SVSG President Siliniu Lina Chang, the initiation of the partnership with ESCAP to support the provision of business skills training to economically empower women under the Nofotane Program, is timely and relevant, and will sustain the small businesses established by women survivors of violence in remote areas of Samoa.

Source: Samoa Government