Page 16 - IB Nov 2017

Business Investor banks on nutri- No leftover From Phillippines with
Women tional pastries: P17 love. A baker’s pasion: P18

A vendor’s

struggle

by Nanise Volau

WHEN Janet Ramo of Malaita in Solomon
Islands started her business 32 years
ago, she had one thing in mind - money.
With $5 in her pocket, a sewing ma-
chine and two pieces of garments given
to her by her husband, Ramo left no stone
unturned but headed to the small town of
Auki and started her business.
The 51-year-old mother of four makes
close to $600 a fortnight as a seamstress,
targeting working women in Honiara.
Her theories are simple, work hard,
never give up and believe in her dreams.
Like other women vendors in Malaita,
Ramo shared her untold stories of the
struggles she endured to make ends meet
for her family.
At the market, she said, her life was Janet Ramo-and another delegate, Jilly Maehaka, at the conference. Photo: Supplied
always at risk. “There are no security, that before the Markets 4 Change (M4C) Joel said through the training provided
and we have to sleep on the floor without project, the women of Malaita did not by UN Women, they were able to expand
proper beddings,” she said, while trying have an understanding and discipline of their business and understood that market
to contain her emotions. “Some women the importance of saving. was a business.
came with their children, without proper Many were intimidated by formal bank- “Unity for women – it’s a powerful tool
facilities, they have to sleep and eat at the ing with its low interest rates on savings to make change,” said Joel.
market and return to their homes when and high fees for administration. These women, through the MVAs, are
their products are all sold.” Ramo used the structure of the market leading, representing and advocating for
The main challenges, she said, was vendor association, plus the skills learned the needs of all market vendors, spe-
road access and the poor facilities at the in M4C financial literacy training to start cifically women, working in the informal
market. a local savings and loan scheme and a economy.
Ramo said the market was not their cooperative store – improving accessibil- In addition to promoting financial
safe haven, so they’d venture out and ity of financial services to market vendors literacy, access to financial services,
do door-to- door sales and return to their and encouraging saving and investment improved agricultural skills and market
villages at the earliest. in livelihoods. infrastructure, UN Women’s Markets for
In 2014, the women vendors of Malaita “With this project, I see myself as a Change (M4C) was also introduced.
formed a market vendor association business woman – I no longer look down M4C supports the creation and strength-
(MVA) through a programme introduced on myself – I am happy,” added Ramo. ening of representative marketplace
by UN Women. The association is one “The Bible says that women are helpers, groups - which in turn enhances the roles
way of improving working conditions for so we need to earn a living and support and influence of women market vendors.
women, who make up approximately 80 our family, instead of relying on the men.” UN Women’s Markets for Change (M4C)
per cent of the market vendors, enabling The same can be said for the women project is a six-year, multi-country initia-
them to be active agents of change and market vendors in Vanuatu. tive that aims to ensure marketplaces in
leaders in their local communities. In Papua New Guinea, women are rural and urban areas of Fiji, Solomon
UN Women, through its Markets for largely responsible for food production, Islands and Vanuatu are safe, inclusive
Change (M4C) project under the Women’s valued at US$55 million per year, accord- and non-discriminatory, promoting gen-
Economic Empowerment (WEE) pro- ing to findings released by the Pacific der equality and women’s empowerment.
gramme, recognises that marketplaces Community (SPC). A UN Women project, M4C is principally
are a critical space for the intersection Poor facilities, poor road access are funded by the Australian Government,
of women’s economic empowerment; some factors that hinder development. and implemented in partnership with
safety and discrimination; leadership and Leisavi Joel, vice president of Silae UNDP.
participation; disaster preparedness; and Vanua MVA in Vanuatu said vendors were q nvolau@gmail.com
livelihoods. faced with a lot of difficulties when work-
Ramo, President of the Auki MVA, says ing among men, particularly in the market.

16 Islands Business, November 2017