Twenty eight women entrepreneurs around the nation participated in the Women
Entrepreneur Anti-Corruption Workshop facilitated by the Samoa Chamber of Commerce & Industry,

together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and support from the United Nations-
Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption Project (UNPRAC). The two workshops were held last week on December 1

and 3 in Fagamalo, Savaii and Apia, Upolu respectively.
“I’m happy with where I am. I make a little money, but honest money and you feel better. You sleep well
and your children are happy because they are not raised with dirty money. That’s where our blessing
comes from,” says Netta Hartin of Netta Cakes in Fagamalo, Savaii.
These workshops were tailored for Samoan women business owners and women interested in tackling
corruption risks in their own communities, by providing tools to strengthen internal controls, define
compliance in their work environments and raise awareness on the local laws and institutions in place to
assist women entrepreneurs to operate with integrity.
“We have heard deep insights into how corruption impacts your daily life in businesses, in the life of your
family, impacts on your community, your country and its development – but at the same time, we have
heard strong words of commitment, dedication, power and hope,” said Christina Mualia, Assistant Resident
Representative – Governance, UNDP Samoa, recognizing that inequality and corruption hinders national
and local development efforts and the key role our Samoan women play.
Throughout the one-day workshop, women participants shared their own experiences with identifiying and
responding to corruption threats within their business operations and communities, and explored solutions
through an open exchange of views. With the participation of the Public Service Commission, through
Osana Liki-Ward, women participants were empowered with a holistic understanding of how both public
and private sectors remain committed to anti corruption measures through a whole-of-society approach.
More importantly, participants were shown the respective public agencies these women-owned and
managed enterprises can turn to when faced with these challenges.

These workshops rounded off a five-part series of women entrepreneur workshops held from July 2021.
The Samoa Chamber of Commerce and UNDP reaffirmed their commitment to building Samoan women
entrepreneurs’ capacity to operate with integrity. In line with this, the first Samoan Women Entrepreneur
Toolkit will be launched in early 2022.