The Women’s Finance Exchange (WFE) has launched its ‘Access to Finance Program’ to empower local women entrepreneurs with vital financial skills and knowledge. The event, organized by Business Assistance Fiji (BAF), attracted around 40 women from Suva who are eager to improve their financial expertise.
BAF’s general manager, Ramesh Chand, recognized the support from program partners and highlighted the initiative’s mission to promote financial independence and business development among women. In his address to the participants, Mr. Chand explained, “Under the business industry program, we have climate action sensor, business continuity planning, business health check, and a variety of training sessions that we have been conducting in different areas.”
He continued, emphasizing the importance of the training, “We have organized sessions on access to finance, finance management, budgeting, cash flow, and a specific focus on women entrepreneurs.”
Furthermore, Manita Ray, managing director of Capital Human, and Uzma Altaf, a gender specialist at the Asian Development Bank, shared their expertise on gender equality in financial access and outlined how the program aligns with broader development objectives.
The two-day training will concentrate on financial planning, management, and modelling, including workshops on budgeting, cash flow management, analysis of financial statements, and understanding financing options with HFC Bank.