With just two weeks to go, organisers of the Women Entrepreneurs Business Council’s Women Invigorating the Nation (WIN) Convention 2026 have unveiled a lineup of speakers and the theme for the event’s fifth anniversary, underlining its growing role in shaping Fiji’s business and policy landscape. The two-day convention will be held under the banner “Give to Gain: Investing in Women, Transform Our Future” and is billed as a convening of entrepreneurs, policymakers, corporate leaders and development partners to map practical pathways for boosting women’s participation in business and leadership.
International tech leader Aneta Pavli is among the headline contributors. Pavli, chief growth officer at DeepAI, works on expanding secure and sovereign artificial intelligence tools tailored for governments and institutions, with a particular focus on climate-vulnerable nations. Her session is set to examine how emerging technologies and digital governance can create new economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs while protecting cultural heritage and indigenous languages in an increasingly digital environment. Pavli is also founder of SixPointFive™, a social enterprise focused on ending period poverty in Pacific nations by improving access to hygiene infrastructure and menstrual education.
Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Sashi Kiran will close the convention as guest of honour, delivering the closing address and presenting the Green Star Awards that recognise businesses demonstrating strong commitments to sustainability and responsible practices. Kiran, a Member of Parliament since 2022 who previously served as an Assistant Minister, brings longstanding community-development credentials to the role — including founding the Foundation for Rural Integrated Enterprises and Development (FRIEND). Her participation signals sustained government engagement in strengthening the policy and social-protection environment that supports women-led enterprises.
Adding an economic-policy perspective is Elisha Mala, head of Research and Strategic Planning at Investment Fiji. Mala leads research initiatives aimed at evidence-based decision making, investment planning and strategic development aligned with national priorities. Her career includes senior policy roles in the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture, and she will discuss how data, policy and strategic planning can unlock investment opportunities and promote sustainable growth for women-owned businesses.
Organisers say the WIN Convention’s fifth edition will again serve as a practical platform for dialogue and collaboration, emphasising linkages between innovation, policy and finance. The theme “Give to Gain” frames investment in women as not only a social priority but an economic strategy that can bolster resilience, particularly in climate-exposed sectors and island economies. The Green Star Awards component underlines the convention’s focus on sustainability and responsible business practice as integral to inclusive growth.
This announcement is the latest development in a growing national conversation about women’s economic participation and the role of technology and policy in facilitating it. With prominent speakers from the technology, government and investment sectors, organisers expect the convention to produce actionable ideas for scaling women-led enterprises and strengthening the systems that support them when it convenes in two weeks’ time.
Leave a comment