Fijian Women Lack Ample Access to Formal Banking, Finds Study

• Fijian women remain underserved despite progress in financial inclusion, new assessment reveals
• Despite compliance, women secure less credit, hindering their growth
• Uneven progress highlights need for stronger gender-inclusive finance in Fiji

According to Supply-Side Assessment of Gender-Inclusive Finance in Fiji, women especially between 15 and 35, remain at a disadvantage in accessing formal banking. The report reveals that fewer women hold bank accounts compared to men that limit both personal and entrepreneurial growth.

A persistent financial gap is holding women-back to excel in business in Fiji. Even when turnover and compliance are comparable, women receive smaller loan amounts than their male counterparts, limiting their growth potential. The study draws attention to a constant gender bias within lending institutions as a possible factor, with women borrowers often facing stickter requirements than men.

“Many financial institutions question the business case and the effort required to reach underserved segments in a small market such as Fiji,” the report says. “There is a lack of understanding – and in some cases, outright denial – that women have distinct financial needs and behaviours that merit dedicated strategies.”

Even with Fiji’s clear public commitment to advancing gender equality in finance and establishment of inclusion-focused working groups, understanding of gender-inclusive finance is still concentrated among limited set of stakeholders. Experts identified lack of reliable data on women entrepreneurs as a key challenge which prevents lenders from fully grasping their needs.

Fiji Development Bank is one of the few acting by reshaping products to serve small, women-owned businesses. In rural Fiji, SPBS has helped 40% of its women clients formalize businesses, while Merchant Finance is building a strategy to better support women-owned MSMEs. The report further highlights that progress son gender-inclusive fiannce remains uneven, with stringer support and awareness needed to fully empower Fijian women in the economy.