Challenges women in business experience daily including gender equality issues were addressed in a recent consultation and training held for the Samoa AgriBusiness (S.A.B.) Support Project.

As part of consultations held at the Tanoa Tusitala Hotel on Wednesday, facilitators of the project were able to undertake a wholesome review of businesswomen clients of the project, on what needs to be improved and where they are with their businesses.

The goal of the workshop was to measure the impact of the project on the women in business and an important topic that was debated were challenges women face in the business world.

One of these hurdles include market access, where women find it difficult to access local market retail outlets such as large suppliers like Frankies and Ah Liki.

Another major hurdle identified was recovering from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic which had a severe effect on most businesses and did not only affect women.

S.A.B. Facility Manager, Su'a Donald Leumaga told Samoa Observer that despite the concerns raised, the clients who are businesswomen are slowly recovering through this project.

"It's not easy to become a woman owner of a business with the mentality that a business are usually controlled and owned by men but 70 percent of the eligible businesses under this project are women-owned," he said.

"Of course there are challenges we normally face when it comes to business including these gender inequality challenges but then of course there are also strengths of a woman to make her own business and grow it.

"The goal of the training is to measure how much of an impact the project has had on the women in business who have been involved in the project, whether the project meets the needs of the women in business.

"Such projects as these prioritizes opportunities for women in business, ensure that there are opportunities available for them and if it's enough."

According to Su'a, majority of the women are labeled as smallholder business owners, which makes them ineligible to receive funding from the project. Only commercial Agri-holders are eligible for financial assistance from the SABS project.

S.A.B. is not designed to provide financial support or business support services to new businesses or start up enterprises for businesswomen. The support package is tailored to each business and project according to a well-defined business and financing plan.

It is a seven-year Private Sector Development Project which aims at stimulating the agribusiness sector growth in the country. It provides both financial and business support services assistance to partner agribusinesses to expand or diversify their activities in a sustainable and environmentally responsible manner which provides benefits to the wider community and Samoa's economy.

Su'a acknowledged the Asian Development Bank, the Government, commercial banks and agribusiness investors for financing the project.