The Reserve Bank of Fiji has launched its Gender Inclusive Finance Report, assessing supply-side, regulatory and structural barriers that continue to limit women’s access to, and participation in, formal financial services. The report is intended to support targeted interventions and reforms by regulators, industry and government stakeholders. Developed with the Fletcher Leadership Program for Financial Inclusion at Tufts University and the Asian Development Bank’s Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative, the study draws on a survey of 18 financial institutions, service providers, accelerators and government agencies. It highlights gaps including underrepresentation in financial services, limited awareness, insufficient data on women-owned businesses, and regulatory and infrastructural constraints, while also noting progress such as female account ownership rising from 52% in 2014 to 82% in 2022 and the gender gap narrowing from 16% to 10%; among female youths, account ownership increased from 59% to 65% and the gender gap narrowed from 12% to 7%. The report also notes that 30.2% of MSMEs are women-owned and a further 13.2% are jointly owned, and that while the gap in savings accounts has narrowed significantly, loan accounts for women remain nearly half those of men.
Reserve Bank of Fiji 2025-09-12
Reserve Bank of Fiji releases Gender Inclusive Finance Report showing female account ownership rose to 82% in 2022
The Reserve Bank of Fiji released its Gender Inclusive Finance Report, identifying barriers to women's access to financial services and recommending targeted interventions. The report, developed with Tufts University and the Asian Development Bank, highlights progress in female account ownership but notes ongoing challenges such as underrepresentation and limited data on women-owned businesses.