THREE more local financial institutions have joined the We-Fi Code movement to champion gender equality and empower women. Joining the ranks of earlier signatories are Kontiki Finance Ltd, Home Finance Company (HFC) Pte Ltd and the Sugar Cane Growers Fund, who officially signed the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (WE-Fi) Code last Thursday.
Hosted by the Reserve Bank of Fiji (RBF) in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the signing marked a significant milestone in Fiji’s journey toward inclusive economic development, RBF said in a statement.
“The WE-Fi Code is a transformative commitment that will empower Fiji and potentially other Pacific Island nations to dismantle cultural and systemic barriers, enabling women entrepreneurs to access finance, grow their businesses and contribute meaningfully to inclusive economic development,” RBF Governor Ariff Ali said.
As one of 24 pilot countries globally selected to work with WE-Fi implementing partners, Fiji is a regional pioneer and stands to benefit from peer learning, capacity-building programs, enhanced policy frameworks and stronger advocacy and dialogue, all of which ultimately leads to more effective implementation of its financial inclusion strategies, according to RBF.
In support of the Code, Fiji’s national Gender Champion, permanent secretary for the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection Eseta Nadakuitavuki said We-Fi Code is not just a framework but also a catalyst for systemic change.
“By aligning leadership, data and action, it empowers financial institutions, regulators, and development partners to close the gender finance gap and unlock up to $6 trillion economic potential of women-led enterprises in developing countries,” she said.
Signatories to the Code pledge to promote leadership through the appointment of gender champions, implement targeted policy actions to support WMSMEs and report annually on a core set of gender-disaggregated indicators.
The latest signatories bring to 11 the total number of institutions have now pledged their support for the WE-Fi Code in Fiji.
They are the Reserve Bank of Fiji, Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection; Ministry of Trade, Co-operatives, SMEs and Communications; Fiji Development Bank, Merchant Finance Limited,
Westpac Banking Corporation, South Pacific Business Development, South Pacific Stock Exchange, Kontiki Finance Ltd, HFC Bank and Sugar Cane Growers Fund.
Note: This article was first published on the print version of the Fiji Times dated August 27, 2025