The Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection is moving to create a permanent, year‑round marketplace for women artisans across Fiji, aiming to end the stop‑start trading cycle that has left many makers out of pocket after attending occasional expos. Minister Sashi Kiran said the proposal — which is currently being trialled — would provide a consistent sales outlet for traditional crafts and other handmade goods and include a system to pay producers immediately when their products meet quality standards.
Kiran told reporters the idea grew out of complaints gathered during recent expos, particularly from women in the Northern Division. “When I first came into the ministry, during the last expo, a number of women, especially women from Bua, told me about the many challenges they faced,” she said, describing how artisans travelled long distances, incurred transport and accommodation costs and sometimes returned home with unsold stock. “You bring products to the expo, and sometimes you have to take them back because they do not sell. That means your costs are not covered.”
Under the ministry’s plan, which is being piloted in stages, products that meet a set of quality criteria — described by Kiran as being “polished, neatly finished and properly packaged” — would be eligible for immediate payment when accepted into the emporium. The upfront payment mechanism is designed to give artisans cash flow certainty and reduce the financial risks of travelling to one‑off events.
Kiran framed the scheme as both an economic and cultural intervention. By furnishing a stable retail platform, the ministry hopes to bolster incomes for women artisans while supporting the preservation and wider market reach of traditional Fijian crafts. “We want to develop a system where you bring your product and receive your money up front,” she said, noting the initiative would help build a consistent market for goods produced by women across Fiji.
The move aligns with broader government priorities to expand women’s economic participation. Previous ministry work has highlighted the potential national gains from greater gender equality, with officials arguing that better inclusion of women in commerce could unlock significant economic benefits. Officials say the planned marketplace will be complementary to existing programmes such as skills training, product development guidance and national campaigns to promote local artisans — although specific details on location, scale and rollout timing were not released during Kiran’s announcement.
The ministry is still trialling operational details, including how quality standards will be applied and how payments will be handled on a practical level. Women’s groups and craft cooperatives around the country will be key stakeholders in shaping the final model, ministry sources said. If successful, the permanent emporium could reduce reliance on infrequent expos and provide a dependable retail channel for rural and island communities, particularly for those who now face high transport costs to reach mainland markets.
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