The Nofotane Online Market was officially launched on Friday in an effort to economically empower women, thanks to a partnership between European Union and Samoa Victim Support Group.

The commissioning of the online platform was made possible through the support of the European Union (E.U.) in partnership with the Samoa Victim Support Group (S.V.S.G.) under the Civil Society Support Programme II..

The launch was held at the Sheraton Samoa Aggie Grey's Hotel and Bungalows where Nofotane women around Samoa gathered to mark the occasion.

With women at the forefront of economic vulnerabilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is paramount to strengthen their economic empowerment, according to the programme's proponents.

The Nofotane Online Market will assist Nofotane women in exploring digital marketing as a practical approach to increase sales, access potential markets locally and overseas, in order to achieve financial stability to ensure the sustainability of their small-scaled businesses to provide for their families. 

The platform will promote a variety of Nofotane products such as handicrafts, which includes tapa cloth and fine mats; hand-made fashion and jewellery products, home and living products such as brooms face masks, doormats, Samoan tauaga etc. 

Customers are able to view the products online and pay using online payment methods such as debit or credit cards or Paypal.

The National Authorising Officer and C.E.O. for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Peseta Noumea Simi said regardless of perceived social status connotations, new opportunities used well will reap benefits for women, their families as well as their communities.

She said the launching of the online market will facilitate sales, trading and is a great avenue to promote Nofotane products.

The S.V.S.G. has helped sell Nofotane products via social media platforms such as Facebook but the growing need to have an Online Nofotane market or website will further expand income generating opportunities for Nofotane women and tapping into overseas market.

The Chair of the S.V.S.G. Board, Georgina Lui said the online market expands not only the Nofotane women’s product line, but also their stories of change outside of Samoa. 

“The expansion assists with the sustainability of the women’s income generating activities while encouraging gender equality,” she said. 

“Thank you to the European Union, through the Civil Society Support Program, for the funding opportunity which has enabled S.V.S.G. to impact the lives of the Nofotane women, benefiting from this Program.”     

The Head of Economic Cooperation, Investments and Agriculture Sectors at the Delegation of the European Union for the Pacific, Barbara Riksen said during the launch that the E.U. is proud to have funded the development of the Nofotane online market. 

“The E.U. supports the empowerment of women and considers it the first building block to create a better and equal society,” she said in a joint media release.

“We are happy to have witnessed the project’s growth from women's economic empowerment initiatives to a very concrete project that allows women to participate equally in existing markets, have control over productive resources and access decent and recognised work," she said.

“This also gives them more control over their own time and lives and an increased voice, agency and meaningful participation in economic decision-making.” 

The project also established 15 Nofotane local markets with 12 markets located in Upolu and three in Savai'i. These local markets ease the travelling and provides a platform to sell Nofotane handicrafts and products locally. 

During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Nofotane women catered for their families’ daily needs during these unprecedented times. In total, the project has benefitted more than 600 women. 

About 61 per cent of the beneficiaries generated excess income to deposit as savings in their bank accounts. A quarter of the project’s beneficiaries established small-scaled businesses through a micro financing scheme with the local financial institutions.

To order from the Nofotane Online Market go to: https://thenofotane.com/