Apia, SAMOA — Samoa’s marketplaces play a critical role in the prosperity of communities, particularly for women and girls.
The Australian High Commission, together with UN Women and the Samoa Land Corporation, were pleased to conduct a site visit to the Salelologa Market in Savaii recently. The visit included Her Excellency Ms Emily Luck, Australia’s High Commissioner to Samoa, Papalii Mele Maualaivao, UN Women Country Programme Coordinator for Samoa, as well as Ulugia Petelo Kavesi, General Manager of the Samoa Land Corporation.
The visit showcased the progress made under ‘Markets for Change’, a UN Women initiative supported by the Australian Government with a contribution of AUD$5.3 million. This support contributes toward the improvements of services for the Salelologa Market, Fugalei Market and the Savalalo Fish Market, ensuring these markets are safer, greener, and more inclusive for all. This includes the procurement of infrastructure assets such as security cameras, fire alarms, solar panels, and other equipment such as tables and chairs.
The visit was also an opportunity to engage with the newly formed Salelologa Market Vendors’ Association and learn first-hand the challenges and opportunities faced by vendors. Earlier in the year, first aid training was provided to vendors and market management as part of the support. This training will be held annually, ensuring a cohort of people with first aid knowledge.
“We congratulate UN Women and Samoa Land Corporation for working together to make Salelologa market a thriving hub of community, culture and connection. When we invest in these spaces, we are also investing in the prosperity of Samoa’s communities, particularly women and girls,” said Ms Luck.
“Through Markets for Change, we are proud to work together to make Samoa’s marketplaces safer, greener and more inclusive for all. More broadly, we are pleased to leverage our strong partnerships to continue supporting women and girls, recognising the invaluable contributions they make daily to their families, communities, and nations,” said Papalii.
“This support has enabled significant strides towards enhancing the livelihoods of our vendors across all of Samoa’s markets, ensuring a safer and more welcoming environment for both sellers and customers. We warmly thank the Government of Australia, UN Women and partners for this support, and look forward to future opportunities to collaborate,” said Ulugia.
