As a targeted, positive and effective response to the Gender Lens Investing in Pacific Island Countries report published earlier this year, PTI NZ rolled out SHEcan to support women-led businesses.
SHEcan is the second in the SHE series, which targets women and girls in the Pacific Island countries. Working with partners on the ground, the programme makes deliberate interventions in women-led and women-owned enterprises that both promote and empower women and girls at the workplace. As defined by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Gender Lens Investing (GLI) is the “deliberate integration of gender analysis, investment analysis and decision-making, where investments are made in more women-owned or led enterprises and/or investments are made in enterprises that promote gender equality at the workplace, as well as in products or services that substantially improve the lives of women and girls.”
There is substantial evidence from around the world that businesses initiated and led by women yield solid returns. These businesses contribute positively to the health of entire communities, extending beyond mere financial gains.
Recognising this, PTI NZ supported six projects in five Pacific Island countries in 2025. The projects included AgBook and AgFutures in the Eastern Province of Papua New Guinea and in Port Moresby; Women in Tech Global (Fiji) and its foundher program; the Nauru Financial Literacy programme; and the South Pacific Business Development (SPBD) Microfinance project in the Solomon Islands.
In Nauru, PTI NZ is partnering with Baker and York and the Pacific–Australia Youth Association (PAYA) to deliver Advancing Gender Lens Investing in Nauru – a six-month programme initiated to strengthen women’s financial literacy and integrate GLI principles into Nauru’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. The programme’s objectives are to (i) build financial management and investment skills among women entrepreneurs; (ii) develop a local support network of stakeholders across government, the private sector and civil society; (iii) provide mentorship and practical tools to help participants manage and grow their businesses; and (iv) contribute to gender-equitable economic development and inclusive business practices in Nauru.
Programme Manager, Eirububwin Tréannah Dabwido, expressed her enjoyment in serving her community, giving back, and being part of a community that empowers through opportunities and the space to grow. She recalled her father’s advice that leadership should not be viewed as a burden but as an opportunity to give back and serve. “This programme aims to provide Nauru women with the confidence and practical tools to take charge of their finances, grow their businesses and support one another. By the end of the programme, local female entrepreneurs will have the skills, resources and networks they need to succeed.” she said.
In Fiji, PTI NZ partnered with Women in Tech Global, an organisation that is part of a global movement to empower five million women and girls in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts Mathematics) by 2030.
With support from PTI NZ, Women in Tech Global (Fiji) launched foundher – Fiji’s first women-focused startup incubator and investor training initiative, designed to strengthen women innovators and entrepreneurs.
Foundher empowers women to transform their innovative ideas into scalable ventures, while building a new generation of women and youth investors who understand gender lens investing and inclusive finance. The programme will support 10 women-led tech startups and train 15–20 women in venture capital and gender-lens investing. The programme includes a Shark Tank-style Demo Day, where founders, future VCs, and ecosystem partners come together with financiers and policymakers to turn ideas into investment-ready opportunities.
Country Director for Women in Tech Global (Fiji), Sagufta Janif said programmes like foundher help get more women and girls into STEAM by creating tangible pathways.
“It’s not just about technology; it’s about equality, confidence and access. When women have the opportunity to create and fund solutions, everyone benefits.”
She went on to say, “Every time I thought about building a startup ecosystem in Fiji, I kept coming back to the same barrier – funding. Not just accessing capital but understanding how to raise it, how investors think, and how to design solutions that are fundable. The foundher programme wasn’t a programme about ‘selecting a winner’. It was about refining ideas, building confidence, sharpening pitches, and taking entrepreneurs to where their ideas can turn into reality. Over the next few months, the founders will move into mentorship, coaching and business development support to take their journey forward. Thanks to PTI NZ, the dream is now a reality.”
In the Solomon Islands, PTI NZ supported SPBD Microfinance Solomon Islands to empower women through training in budgeting, business planning and loan responsibilities to build resilient, sustainable livelihoods.
Solomon Islands participant Elvinah Supisi Warahiru, said she dreamed of starting a printing and tailoring business, but lacked the equipment and financial support. A loan through SPBD Microfinance Solomon Islands enabled her to purchase a printing machine, fabrics, materials for business cards and banners, and an electric sewing machine. Now her thriving business supports her family. “I want to show my children that someone like me can lead, learn and create a better future,” she said.
General Manager SPBD – Solomon Islands, Raymond McCarthy, concurs: “Together, we are proving that when women have access to the right resources, they can uplift not only their families but entire communities.”
By investing in families and communities, microfinancing has led to generational impact globally. Raymond McCarthy understands this. He began with SPBD Microfinance as a centre manager in 2010. Today, SPBD is the only financially sustainable and scalable microfinance network that promotes financial inclusion and female empowerment in the South Pacific, serving Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. By providing capital, SPBD has helped over 110,000 women micro-entrepreneurs – from Samoa to the Solomon Islands – to build sustainable, income-generating micro-enterprises.
AgBook’s owner and Managing Director, Nicole Isifu, is a committed young woman inspired to challenge existing farming practices and drive an increase in youth participation in the agriculture sector, but as entrepreneurs rather than labourers.
“Youth are so important to the future of Papua New Guinea,” Isifu said. “Farmers are ageing, and youth are currently not interested [in farming], so the nation [has to] import so much of what could be produced by ourselves, and also has the fastest growing agriculture market in the world at our doorstep.”
According to the last census, 54% of the population was under 25 years old. “We have a significant labour force. But no-one can expect youth to be interested in agriculture given the way it works now.”
Isifu provides online training courses and tutorials, especially for rural women, including one on soap-making. Other online AgBook courses include ‘Basics of a Farming Business’ and ‘Farming for Profit’. They all aim to improve the profitability of farms and help people enjoy better lives.
PTI NZ is supporting AgBook and AgFutures, an innovative agricultural extension project in East New Britain Province. The collaborative approach of AgBook aims to open new agriculture business opportunities by empowering rural farmers with new knowledge, while assisting industry to better engage with those farmers.
AgFutures empowers young Indigenous individuals with the skills, resources and opportunities to thrive in agribusiness, fostering innovation and sustainable growth in communities. It equips young agribusiness enthusiasts with essential tools, online training and a platform to sell products.
Isifu is proud to be part of the effort to help local labourers make the best of their land and the opportunities available.
“Every farming family deserves the knowledge to transform their land from a subsistence garden to a profitable small business,” she said.
