Outcome FIJ_D_2.5

Women have income security, decent work and economic autonomy

Progress is being made in enabling women market vendors to have income security, decent work and economic autonomy through the Markets for Change project. The evolving policy and gender-responsive landscape of the markets in Fiji is creating an enabling environment that promotes productive work for women market vendors in conditions of freedom, equity, security and dignity. It is also promoting women’s leadership and participation in marketplace politics and well as keeping markets accessible, safe and resilient to disaster risks. Women market vendors hold the presidency positions of eight of the 13 market vendor associations (MVAs). In addition, in all the MVAs, women market vendors make up more than 50 percent of the leadership roles in the Executive Committees. The strong leadership presence of women in market vendors associations (MVAs) in Fiji is ensuring that the voice of women is heard and magnified at all levels, giving a recognised collective voice to the needs and perspectives of women market vendors, and ultimately leading to the removal of marketplace barriers caused by gender biases. Moreover, the MVAs have demonstrated good governance, transparency and increasing accountability to the vendors through effective MVA management. This has included opening up social and economic opportunities for market vendors to actively participate. This has included, for example, (i) organising and leading MVA internal strategic processes such as strategic planning, including planning for and holding full-member meetings (such as AGMs) and events (such as Market Day), with minimal support from UN Women; and (ii) supporting market vendors, especially rural vendors, to increase their access to financial services, and to improve their socio-economic status. Women market vendors in two rural maritime islands were able to open bank accounts (4.3%), open investment accounts (18%), sign up for micro-insurance (1.2%), register in apps for mobile money (6%) and use apps to promote their goods online (9.6%). In addition, more women have started to keep financial records (34.6%) and another 1% have reported increased agency over financial decision-making (confirmed by husbands). Furthermore, MVA members are building their livelihood capacities through various capacity-building initiatives. MVAs are demonstrating a willingness to continuously improve their provision of services to members by revising and improving their association constitutions, ensuring their gender responsiveness and inclusion. The revisions included the following: (i) MVAs to be inclusive, by being open to all market vendors and farmers who want to become members; (ii) all members to have the right to vote during the MVA election of its executive committee; (iii) MVAs to have a minimum of 60 percent of women holding the executive roles. In addition, municipal councils and market management lead in the development of and adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs), government health regulations, market disaster management plans and market by-laws, thereby contributing to making markets more gender-responsive, more accessible and safer for women market vendors and more resilient to disaster risks. New communications instalments (CCTV and PA systems) are improving information flows in the marketplaces, contributing to improved vendor knowledge of marketplace regulations, and overall personal and marketplace safety and security, such as minimizing/eliminating thieving and violence against women vendors and children in the markets. UN Women provides financial and technical support to the Markets for Change project in Fiji.