Westpac Support for Pacific Women in Business

October 30, 2014

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Suva, Fiji – Today the Pacific Islands Private Sector Organisation (PIPSO) signed a partnership agreement with the Westpac Banking Corporation (Westpac), which has come on board as the Gold Sponsor for the second Pacific Women in Business Conference.

The conference, bringing diverse Pacific women in business, will be held on 26-28 November 2014, in Nadi, Fiji.

The conference theme is “Building Women Entrepreneurs – Building Nations.” The partnership agreement reinforces both agencies’ ongoing work to promote and enhance women’s participation in business; with the second Pacific Women in Business Conference as the platform to showcase and share the business diversity, experiences and innovations of women entrepreneurs and their businesses.

Mereia Volavola, CEO of PIPSO said, “women are a significant entrepreneurial force whose contributions to local, national and global economies are far reaching. While there has been a positive trend, women entrepreneurs continue to face challenges and diminished opportunities further constraining women’s participation in business. PIPSO hopes that through this conference businesswomen can learn more from each other and that more established businesswomen will be able to share key learnings and advice to up-and coming women in business.”

Under the agreement, Westpac will contribute FJD$50,000 to the event and will take the opportunity to share banking perspectives to the women in business, about access to finance and access to information and resources for sustainable business ventures.

Eseta Nadakuitavuki, Westpac’s Manager Women’s Markets said, “Westpac welcomes being part of the second Pacific Women in Business Conference and will endeavour to work with women who are aspiring to start up business ventures or further their business interests.”

She added, “due to the regional nature of the event, Westpac is lending its broader support to the event.”

Mereia Volavola concluded, “with Westpac’s support, we hope that the conference can especially provide the necessary information pertaining to access to finance and business development to enable Pacific women to manage sustained and profitable businesses.”