Dairy Farmer Wins Top Businesswoman Award

Women should be included in the dairy farming board, so their voices could be heard. Dairy farmer Seruwaia Wati, who was awarded the South Pacific Busi­ness Development (SPBD) Business­woman of the year, believes women inclusion would help address the challenges they face. In Naitasiri, there are at least 40 women dairy farmers.

South Pacific Business Development ,businesswoman of the year award Seruwaia Wati at the awards night at the Vodafone Arena on Ocotober 22,2022. Photo: Laisa Lui

Key note address

Pacific Community (SPC), Pacific Women Principal Strategic Lead, Mereseini Rakuita was chief guest during the awards night.

“You have been provided with a tool and you took it in both hands, you have broken barriers, you have started your own business, you may have fallen, yet you stood up again and you persisted, and that’s what breaks glass ceilings,” Ms Rakuita said.

“To those who win the awards to­night, I encourage you to keep striv­ing for excellence and help your fel­low counterparts, cementing that place in the world of business.

“Be an inspiration in your com­munities though the businesses that you all can be an inspiration to other ladies who may not be on the same platform as you show them how you made it where you are today.

“If you’re able to inspire at least one woman before the end of the journey of economic independence, we will be at a much better place this time next year, ‘’ she said.

More than 3000 women from differ­ent SPBD centres attended the event at the Vodafone Arena in Laucala.

Feedback: laisa.kabulevu@fijisun.com.fj