Economic Empowerment of Women
We work to remove the barriers that limit women’s participation in Pacific economies.
Economies grow faster with women’s full participation. However, discriminatory laws, social norms, and customary practices, as well as low control over assets, low levels of support and a lack of awareness about how to start a business are limiting the ability of Pacific women to engage in business activities to the same extent as men.
Women are economically disadvantaged in the Pacific region. Discriminatory laws, social norms, and customary practices, alongside low control over assets, low levels of support, and a lack of awareness about how to start a business limit Pacific women’s ability to engage in business activities to the same extent as men.
PSDI’s economic empowerment of women works to clear pathways for women to enter the formal economy, focusing on:
- the creation of new businesses by women that generate economic activity in both urban centers and rural areas;
- the expansion of the formal labor market;
- the enrichment of business leadership through the participation of women who bring different skills and perspectives;
- higher business productivity, on which long-term growth depends; and
- the improvement of women’s confidence and autonomy to contribute to their communities.
These considerations inform all of PSDI’s work in developing policy frameworks, introducing legal reforms, mainstreaming gender into all programs, and evaluating pilot programs.
Economic Empowerment of Women and COVID-19
For more information on PSDI's Economic Empowerment of Women focus area and COVID-19, click here.
Economic Empowerment of Women at a glance
Women and Business
More women on SOE boards
Leadership potential realized
Latest News
A PSDI event in Port Moresby convened a crowd of PNG’s government, business, and civil society representatives, to discuss the findings of the expanded Papua New Guinea edition of Leadership Matters 2024: Benchmarking Women in Business Leadership in the Pacific.
A group of 25 women have graduated from the Senior Executive Women in Leadership Program, presented by the Fiji Institute of Chartered Accountants (FICA) in partnership with PSDI.
The proportion of women in business leadership in the Pacific is steadily increasing, but persistent barriers slow the ideal rate of progress, according to a new report published today by the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB’s) Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative (PSDI).
PSDI launched the new Gender-Inclusive Private Sector (GIPS) Framework and report: "Unlocking Potential: Creating a more gender inclusive private sector in the Pacific" in New York on March 13 at a side event to the 68th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) at the United Nations.
Key Publications
