UN Women and its partners believe that women's economic empowerment is a catalyst and prerequisite for sustainable development. Enhancing women's economic development can boost the economic growth in SIDS, promote social development for women and the entire population, cushion climate change impacts, and help reduce poverty levels. This partnership will strengthen the economic security of marginalised women in the Pacific. The partnership is made of up two programmes that have already helped to increase women's access to finance and economic security, as well safer, more inclusive, non-discriminatory and sustainable public market spaces.

The partnership began with the Port Moresby Safe City for Women and Girls Programme. This programme is part of a global initiative aimed at making public spaces safe for women and girls. In Papua New Guinea (PNG) the programme focuses on urban marketplaces, the most populated public spaces in the capital city, where women and girls often experience intense and varied forms of discrimination, particularly gender-based violence. The Safe City programme aims at making markets safe, clean and inclusive.

Since its launch, the programme has had major achievements including helping market vendors open special mobile phone accessible bank accounts with Nationwide Micro-bank, which allow bank their daily earnings, reducing the risk of robbery and assault. In Gerehu market, changes to security contracts and the refurbishment of the toilet block, including separation of male and female toilets, installation of running water and heightened visibility for those entering the facilities, has led to women and girls feeling safer and less vulnerable to sexual and gender-based violence. Additionally, UN Women has used better practices and lessons learned from the Safe City programme to develop a regional initiative in Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu called the Markets for Change (M4C).

M4C builds on the Safe City programme experiences, as well as local initiatives and entry points for change identified by country specific initiatives. The programme capitilises and builds on UN Women's existing relationships with local partners throughout the Pacific and puts particular emphasis on rural women. The programme's objectives are to ensure that urban and rural markets contribute to sustinable development.

Since its establishment M4C has resulted in more than 150 Solomon Island market vendors opening bank accounts, most for the first time. This is a signifcant step in expanding marginalised women's access to finance and incorporating their economic potential into the wider economy. In Fiji, the M4C programme partnership resulted in the construction of 42 new market stalls and construction of a fence around the market infrastructure in Sigatoka. This provided market vendors with protection from weather conditions and has increased security for over 700 market vendors, who were previously vulnerable to theft. Additionally, installation of water storage tanks in Tavua, Fiji, along with improvements to drainage systems, has helped to provide vendors with water reserves and sanitation facilities for use during flooding and regular water disruptions.

In the Pacific region between 75 and 90% of market vendors are women. UN Women's strategy for women's economic empowerment, has a specific focus on market women, and recognises that economic growth in SIDS is often uneven and particularly vulnerable to disaster-related shocks. There are also insufficient formal sector job opportunities to absorb the emergent labour marketer. The partnership, represented in these two programmes, demonstrates how government, the private sector and international community can work together to address these issues and improve the lives of women and their families in SIDS.

The Safe City programme has been implemented since 2011 on a phased approach as follows:

1) Year 1: Establishment of partnerships, scoping study and data collection, programme validation and re-design to incorporate scoping study findings.

2) Year 2: Roll out of interventions into pilot site 1- Gerehu market and baseline data collection.

3) Year 3: Continue interventions on site, continuous adaptation of programme strategies based on successes and lessons learned. Roll out into second intervention site.

4) Year 4-5: Continuation of programme interventions and expansion into the second and third intervention sites. Design of expansion into safe public transport. Midline review.

5) Year 6-7: Completion of interventions in all sites and preparations for impact evaluation.


The M4C programme is a multi-country programme with country-specific implementation based on local circumstances. The programme is a six year initiative with a phased approach:

1) Year 1: Programme establishment, baseline data collection, stakeholder engagement, and creation of knowledge management systems. It will also include commitment of funds for markets infrastructure upgrades.

2) Year 2-4: Core delivery phase with a specific focus on replicating successful activities and up scaling.

3) Years 5-6: Transfer phase for handover to relevant authorities

To ensure compliance to the programme commitment, the programme report progress on annual basis and the programme will also undergo independent mid-term review and end of programme evaluation.

M4C and Safe City will ensure that sustainability is achieved through the institutionalisation of processes and knowledge transfer to local authorities. Best practices of both initiatives will be documented and impact will be monitored and evaluated through robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.

At the regional level, knowledge management team will support the programme in documenting and sharing information with relevant stakeholders at the local, national, and regional level, the best practices from both initiatives.

At the country level, programme managers will work directly with relevant local authorities and partners to support the institutionalisation and skills transfer of processes.

M4C and Safe City will ensure that sustainability is achieved through the institutionalisation of processes and knowledge transfer to local authorities. Best practices of both initiatives will be documented and impact will be monitored and evaluated through robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.

At the regional level, knowledge management team will support the programme in documenting and sharing information with relevant stakeholders at the local, national, and regional level, the best practices from both initiatives.

At the country level, programme managers will work directly with relevant local authorities and partners to support the institutionalisation and skills transfer of processes.

The Safe City and M4C programmes have been designed to build on successful practices from the work carried out by UN Women across the Pacific and other regions. They are regulated and led by similar committees, outlined below, where local government, police, civil society, donors, private sector, market vendors and other relevant stakeholders are represented and lead the day to day implementation and strategic direction of the programme based on the needs of those who utilise the markets.

The programmes are coordinated by three main processes:

1. Programme Board: The Board will meet annually to review programme progress and advise accordingly.

2. Programme Management Committees:Established in each country of implementation, the Committee will meet bi-annually and work closely with country based programme management teams. The committee will be responsible for reporting on progress of the programme, review annual work plans and inform the programme board meetings.

3. Programme management teams: Set in each country, and led by a programme manager and supported by technical specialists, the Programme Management Teams will be responsible for the overall implementation of programme activities.

4. South – South collaboration / learning exchange: South-South exchange is a focus of both initiatives, both between the M4C and Safe City programmes, as well as between M4C countries (Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu). The Safe City Programme is also part of the Global Safe Cities advocacy network and partners. These include UN Habitat, UNICEF, Huairou Commission, Women in Cities International, Red Mujer y Habitat and the International Centre for Research on Women.

There is anticipation that this collaborative platform will increase throughout the programme life of the initiatives through exchange of best practices, lessons learned, innovative models of training and learning opportunities.

Market Vendors
Government and Local and Provincial Governments of Solomon Islands
Government and Local and Provincial Governments of Vanuatu
Government and Local Governments of Fiji
Government of Papua New Guinea
Provincial Government of Papua New Guinea
The Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary
Australian Government
New Zealand Government
UN Women
UNDP
Nationwide Microbank
Westpac (Regional Bank)
Bank of the Southern Pacific (Regional Bank)