[Source: US Embassy/ Facebook]

The US Embassy in Suva launched its 2023 Academy for Women Entrepreneurs program yesterday.

U.S. Ambassador to Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu Marie C. Damour says the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent identifies economic development as one of its key thematic areas, and they join Pacific leaders to empower women to be active participants in economic life.

AWE is based on a model of peer-to-peer learning and local mentorship, which helps participants build their own businesses and seek innovative scaling opportunities.

Continuing its momentous run, the AWE program received a record number of over 1,500 applications from women across Fiji to participate this year.

Damour says the implementers selected the over 200 emerging entrepreneurs who gathered in Suva yesterday to celebrate the start of their business journey.

The Ambassador also commended WEBC and Makoi Women’s Vocational Training Centre for their successful leadership of AWE, which has enabled a community of over 300 alumni in Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, since it was established in 2020.

The AWE program is an educational opportunity for women entrepreneurs that uses a facilitated online course called DreamBuilder.

AWE is designed for energetic and enterprising women with an entrepreneurial mindset with a flexible training schedule of two days a month over a period of seven months.