Opinion Piece by Jeremy Grennell, Officer in Charge, PTI Australia
After a three-month data-collection period, results are in from PTI Australia’s Pacific Islands Export Survey 2024. Among the many positive and encouraging insights, comes one that while unsurprising, bears the hallmark of great hope. The survey found that the region’s female-led businesses are taking charge, shaping the future of both the private sector and the broader social landscape through their dedicated implementation of gender equality, disability, and social inclusion (GEDSI) policies and principles.
Despite some significant gains, women and girls in the Pacific continue to face disproportionate barriers to engaging in the workforce and business arenas. While their employment rates remain marginal, so too does the region’s capacity for economic growth. Enhancing women’s access to employment and entrepreneurialism is not just a vital part of improving personal or familial wellbeing – it’s also a fundamental component of lifting the entire region’s capacity to flourish. Earlier this year, the World Bank estimated that long-term economic growth could increase by about 22 per cent per capita if women’s employment rates equalled men’s.
Commendably, the Pacific Islands Export Survey 2024 found that Pacific businesses, and particularly female-led businesses, excelled in their understanding and endorsement of GEDSI concepts. More than 96 per cent of respondents demonstrated excellent familiarity with “gender equality” and indicated some level of familiarity with each of the other concepts as well.
In addition, the survey found that 80 per cent of respondents have either fully or partially implemented policies and practices into their business models to bolster GEDSI principles. Only 9 per cent of respondents demonstrated uncertainty around the meaning or implementation of the concepts. These figures alone represent a significant accomplishment for the entire Pacific region, showcasing how small Pacific businesses can affect positive impacts as far and wide as their oceans reach.
Implementation of GEDSI policies was not confined to any specific industry and, pleasingly, was observed universally across all sectors. However, overwhelmingly, female-led businesses did exceptionally well in this arena, showing remarkable leadership in accessibility to information, and in providing services and spaces for individuals with disability. In a context where women are still significantly under-represented in the workforce, this is no simple feat. The survey highlights they are actively inclusionary participants of systems that have historically excluded their capacity for participation.
Findings like these are testament to the valuable insights gleaned through our biannual Pacific Export Surveys. Not only do the surveys allow us to crunch the numbers, but they are also essential means of interpreting the region’s progression, capturing changes and trends to inform regional analysis and policy development. This year marked a milestone decade since PTI Australia’s inaugural Export Survey, facilitating a crucial overview of the private sector’s 10-year trajectory, as well as its socioeconomic impacts.
As PTI Australia’s Officer in Charge, I look forward to a future where GEDSI principles are celebrated, with fundamental components embedded into all Pacific business models. By enhancing workforce accessibility, together we can help shatter the glass ceiling.
PTI Australia would like to thank all businesses who completed the Export Survey 2024, and extends heartfelt congratulations to all Pacific businesses, and particularly female-led businesses, on their endorsement of GEDSI concepts.
More findings from the Pacific Export Survey 2024 can be found here.
