Profiling Pacific Women in Business – Pacific Connect’s first Dialogue for 2022

Pacific Connect’s first Dialogue of the year ‘Profiling Pacific Women in Business’ was held on 16 February. The online event brought together forty two new and existing Community members in a new interview style format. Participants from five countries joined the 1.5-hour ‘conversation’ virtually and in person, with Pacific Connect Hubs convened in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, and Port Vila, Vanuatu.

ICDP was excited to have Ms Floris Niu, Owner/Founder of Ms Sunshine Organic Farms (Samoa) and Ms Jean Tikaram, Owner, Waitika Honey Farm (Fiji) join us online. They energised and inspired participants through sharing their entrepreneurial journeys and  business tips, before engaging in a lengthy Q&A session.

Women in the Pacific remain vulnerable to the immediate and long-term economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. This new series, ‘Profiling Pacific Women in Business’, aims to promote and inspire businesswomen in the Pacific through sharing their experiences, and supporting mentoring opportunities. Through shorter, focused Q&A topics showcasing women entrepreneurs, Pacific Connect continues to expand its suite of development and networkingactivities for Pacific women, with the 1000-strong community of which 65% are female.

Our facilitators for the Dialogue were Salote Waqairatu (Hub Coordinator, Suva) and Olisana Mariner (Hub Coordinator, Samoa). Salote and Olisana ensured the morning was an inspiring, welcoming space for all attendees and engaged in engrossing discussion with our two speakers.

As we continue to facilitate best practice business and leadership initiatives in the region, ICDP has established a Pacific Connect Agribusiness Group Facebook page, superseding the former group on the PCC Slack Channel. This move allows our Community to access the group through a platform that they already have – Facebook – while taking advantage of well established agribusiness opportunities on the platform. We invite all agribusiness professionals from our existing PCC and those new to the Community to join the group here!