Market vendors from across Fiji convened this morning for the Market Vendors Association Forum, an important national event uniting rural women farmers, municipal vendors, local leaders, and development partners. The forum offered a platform for vendors to address the day-to-day realities of market life, the challenges they encounter, and the innovative opportunities emerging within Fiji’s marketplace sector.
During her address, Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection, Sashi Kiran, emphasized the crucial role vendors play in sustaining Fiji’s food systems and local economies. She highlighted ongoing support from UN Women and UNDP through the Markets for Change Programme, which has enhanced market facilities, increased vendor participation, and improved connections between market associations and municipal councils.
The Minister noted the program’s success in empowering women vendors to take on leadership roles and diversify their income opportunities. With women constituting a majority of market vendors, many of whom provide produce from their own farms, there has been a significant expansion of women’s leadership within the sector. The Ministry revealed that women now occupy over half of the executive positions in Market Vendor Associations nationwide.
This year’s forum, themed “Changing the Game: Vendors as Agents of Change,” spurred discussions on various topics, including entrepreneurship, digital literacy, value-adding, health and safety, climate resilience, and enhancing market environments. Participants shared their community experiences and exchanged practical lessons that they could implement at their local markets.
The 2025 Market Vendors Forum gathered more than one hundred attendees, focusing on fostering inclusive and resilient market systems while amplifying vendors’ voices in national dialogues about economic participation and community development. This gathering represents a hopeful step towards greater empowerment and resilience in Fiji’s marketplace landscape.
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