Fijian businesswomen graduate from AWE entrepreneurs program

The quest to establish successful women-led businesses in Fiji continues, as 156 women entrepreneurs were accredited with certificates and essential skills and knowledge last week.

The women entrepreneurs are part of the fourth cohort of the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program, an initiative by the United States Embassy in Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu.

Since 2020, the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs has mentored close to 500 Fijian women to establish and scale up their businesses. The Women Entrepreneurs Business Council and the Makoi Women’s Vocational Centre facilitate this program in Fiji through a comprehensive, seven-month long business skills development course, networking opportunities, and an outdoor market where students can sell their products and gain real-world experience.

U.S. Ambassador Marie C. Damour commended the graduates for the time and effort they invested in the program. “When women are empowered to earn their own income,” she said, “they are more likely to reinvest those earnings in their businesses and in their families. As families cross the poverty line and women’s livelihoods expand, entire communities benefit. Put simply, when women do better, everyone else does better.

Fiji’s Minister for Women, Children, and Social Protection, Lynda Tabuya, also attended the ceremony, where she met with graduates and learned first-hand how AWE helped them turn their dreams into viable businesses.