Minister for Local Government, Premila Kumar says women vendors have stood strong together with the municipal councils in ensuring our markets are safe spaces to continue supporting local economic development in the face of COVID-19.
While speaking at the International Women's Day event at the Australia High Commission, Kumar says today, many recognise women leaders at all levels and there are some amazing leaders in our local market vendor associations.
She says they continued to advocate and play an important role in planning and decision making for their members and our markets remained open for economic and food security purposes throughout these trying times.
UN Women Representative, Sandra Bernklau says in Fiji they have seen women in local government, market management and in the market vendors associations lead the way in responding to COVID-19 by ensuring market places remained opened and safe.
Berklau says UN Women together with the Ministry of Local Government and the government's of Australia, Canada and New Zealand throughout their Markets for Change projects valued what these women have achieved so far.
She says these women have also played a key role in ensuring that other women are being heard and represented at local government level which has led to improvements.
Meanwhile, the Australian High Commissioner John Feakes says they strongly value the partnership they have with Fiji and partners under the Markets for Change project.
Feakes says this project has proven to be adaptable had played a role in the response and recovery effort of COVID-19.
He says it had also supported economically vulnerable women respond positively to crisis like natural disaster and COVID-19.
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