The Ministry for Women, Children and Social Protection has struck a new partnership with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to deliver a targeted Digital Literacy Program for Fijian women, the latest step in efforts to narrow the country’s digital gender divide. The agreement was discussed during a courtesy visit to Minister Sashi Kiran by KOICA’s newly appointed Deputy Country Director Seoyeun Bang and KOICA representative Hankyulsam Cho.
The digital literacy initiative is being rolled into the Fiji Women’s Economic Empowerment National Action Plan (WEENAP) 2025–2030 and aims to strengthen women’s digital capacities to support entrepreneurship, bolster institutional capability, and increase socio‑economic participation. KOICA will work with the Ministry through the Department of Women to implement the programme, which will prioritise existing women’s groups and beneficiaries of government social protection schemes, officials said.
Planned sessions will focus on women in rural, maritime and informal communities across Fiji’s Central and Western Divisions, targeting groups that international and local observers have repeatedly identified as most vulnerable to exclusion from the digital economy. Earlier WEE‑NAP analysis highlighted persistent barriers — from limited digital skills to constrained access to finance and caregiving burdens — that keep many women, particularly in informal and remote settings, from fully participating in technology‑driven opportunities.
Minister Kiran described the KOICA partnership as a tangible step toward creating employment and business opportunities for women at the grassroots level. She said the collaboration will place digital inclusion “as a key pillar of economic empowerment,” and expressed optimism that the formalised partnership will deliver measurable benefits for women across affected communities.
The visit from Seoyeun Bang marks KOICA’s deeper engagement with Fiji on gender and digital inclusion programming. KOICA, South Korea’s international development agency, has stepped up cooperation in the Pacific in recent years; its involvement in the new digital literacy programme brings international technical and development resources to the Ministry’s outreach plans. Ms. Hankyulsam Cho joined Ms. Bang in consultations with ministry officials to scope implementation priorities and beneficiary selection.
This development complements other national and international efforts to bolster women’s participation in technology and entrepreneurship. Earlier in 2025, the Women in Tech Fiji chapter and the U.S. Embassy‑backed Academy for Women Entrepreneurs provided platforms for capacity building and networks for women in STEM and business. The KOICA‑backed digital literacy programme differs by focusing explicitly on foundational digital skills for women in remote, maritime and informal settings — groups the government has identified as needing targeted support under WEENAP 2025–2030.
Ministry and KOICA officials said the next steps include formalising the partnership agreement and finalising a rollout plan through the Department of Women, with training modules and beneficiary lists to be developed in coordination with community groups. No firm start date was announced, but officials signalled the programme would prioritise rapid engagement with women already receiving government support.
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