A total of 185 women artisans from Nadroga, Ra, and Ba participated in the two-day Western Division Women’s Expo at Shirley Park in Lautoka, which concluded on Wednesday.

At the opening ceremony, Assistant Minister for Women, Children, and Poverty Alleviation, Sashi Kiran, announced that 100 artisans would be selected to participate in the 2024 National Women’s Expo in Suva.

These women will join other artisans from the remaining three divisions at the national event.

“I know that the experts and a team of independent assessors are here and they’ve been going through your products since your arrival,” she said.

“Life hasn’t been easy but what’s amazing is you always rise and I for one have seen the struggles of the women during the pandemic, the massive loss of jobs in tourism and how we had gone completely from one of the biggest economic engines of Fiji to almost nothing,” she said.

Ms Kiran acknowledged the challenges that these women faced in attending the Expo, including transportation and the physical strain of bringing their products to the venue.

She assured them that they not only qualified for the 2024 National Women’s Expo but also for local and international markets.

The Ministry of Women, Children, and Poverty Alleviation, in collaboration with the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs, Fiji Arts Council, and the Department of Heritage, will assess the products and qualify the 100 women for the 2024 National Women’s Expo.

Ms Kiran praised the resilience and resourcefulness of women artisans during the pandemic, as there were massive job losses in the tourism industry.

She noted that women used their traditional skills and resources to improve their products and sell them through various channels, such as roadside stalls and social media.

Ms Kiran said the government is committed to economically empower and develop women artisans and ensure gender equality.

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