Josefa Sigavolavola 
[File Photo]
Women-owned businesses make up just 19 per cent of formally registered Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises in Fiji.
This leaves an estimated $241 million annual financing gap, UNDP Fiji Resident Representative Munkhtuya Altangerel said.
Speaking at the launch of the National MSME strategy and database in Suva, Altangerel said women face ongoing barriers to economic participation.
She stressed the need for gender-responsive investments and stronger national systems to improve access to finance, markets and visibility.
Altangerel said MSMEs make up more than 90 per cent of registered businesses in Fiji.
They support most livelihoods, but women-led enterprises remain underrepresented in the formal economy.
Thousands more women operate in the informal sector, particularly in agriculture, fisheries, tourism, handicrafts, and market vending.
She said fragmented data and limited visibility have long constrained support for women entrepreneurs.
The new MSME database and strategy will make women-led enterprises more visible and help target financial and policy support.
Altangerel said closing the gender finance gap is not just about equity but also economic growth.
Greater participation by women-led MSMEs would boost job creation, household incomes and long-term economic resilience.
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