By LITIA MATHEWSELL Women In Business successfully held another two-day intensive workshop at the Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort in Sigatoka over the weekend. This workshop, attended by about 30 participants, was to assist women wanting to start and develop their own businesses. Women In Business president Dr Nur Bano Ali emphasised the need to promote the commercial participation of local women in Fiji’s economic sector. She also stressed the challenges of access to assistance faced by many. “There is hardly any place for women to get help about starting their own businesses and this is where we hope to help them, through these workshops,” she said. “The main challenges faced by many are the lack of finances and the attitude of society, which should be more accepting of women in business.” The workshop was funded by New Zealand Aid and included sessions on registering, marketing, financing and drawing up business plans, with a focus on sustaining the business. New Zealand Trade Commissioner to Fiji, Peter Lund, commended the work of Women In Business in encouraging more women to pursue their goals of establishing and developing their businesses. The workshop also provided a key networking opportunity for participants to make contact with women in various fields of business. The next such gathering is scheduled for Labasa next month.
Women In Business president, Dr Nur Bano Ali (third right), New Zealand Trade Commisioner to Fiji, Peter Lund (fourth right( and South Pacific Stock Exchange chief executive, Jinita Prasad (fourth left) with participants of the Women In Business workshop at the Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort in Sigatoka. Photo:LITIA MATHEWSELL