Increasing Women’s Economic Empowerment in the Pacific

Women’s economic empowerment is the ability of women to bring about positive changes in their lives and societies as a result of their participation in economic activities. Enhancing women’s economic empowerment is strategic for long-term, equity, growth, and sustainability. UN Women research has shown that improving the economic status of women leads to increased economic activity in communities and positive ripple effects for the whole nation. Marketplaces are key sites for women’s economic empowerment as well as national poverty reduction. Marketplaces are often dominated by rural and urban women vendors whose cash incomes constitute a significant part of the income of poor households. Market places also provide a significant revenue stream for local councils. However the economic contribution markets and market traders make to local and national economies is not often recognised by national and local governments. For the most part, market vendors, especially women, face unhealthy and unsafe work environments. Violence against women is widely reported. Despite the dominance of women market vendors, women are often excluded from market governance and decision making.