More than twenty women entrepreneurs in Savaii have completed three business modules training,
bringing the total number of Nofotane women entreprenurs trained under the Catalysing Women’s
Entrepreneurship (CWE) Program, to one hundred women.
Samoa Victim Support Group (SVSG) is fronting the learning journey of the selected Nofotane women, who
are regarded as Star Earners by the organisation due to their outstanding progress as women
entrepreneurs.
According to the SVSG President Siliniu Lina Chang, “the artistic talents of the women entrepreneurs in
Savaii is innovative. While some of them have set up stalls at the Salelologa market, the majority are selling
their products on line through social media. None of the twenty women entrepreneurs in Savaii have taken
up a small loan to assist with start-up capital. All have used savings from the sales of their products to
start-up or expand their businesses.”
The use of ICT and digital solutions such as the social media, by the majority of the women entreprenurs in
Savaii to sell their products attest to an empowered group of women entrepreneurs, who were once
victims of domestic and family violence.
The Nofotane Business Development Training by SVSG is part of a project funded by the United Nations
Economic and Social Commission for Asia-Pacific (UN ESCAP).
The progress of SVSG’s work with the nofotane women highlights the organization’s commitment to the
prevention of violence through economic empowerment. The Project also supports ESCAP’s work to break
down barriers experienced by women entrepreneus in establishing, managing and developing an
enterprise. Furthermore, the Project is aligned to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the
Sustainable Development Goals of No Poverty, Gender Equality, Quality Education, Decent Work and
Economic Growth, and Reduced Inequalities.