The program will be delivered to female small business owners in rural areas across Fiji, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu.

Deputy Team Leader for Inclusive Growth at the UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji, Patrick Tuimalealiifano, said the partnership is more than just balancing a budget.

“A big part of our work is on helping women in low income households to have financial security and control over their future and the future of their families.

“Building financial literacy and business acumen translates into confidence and over time we start seeing these women emerge as community leaders, entrepreneurs and successful businesswomen.

The MoneyMinded program is helping Pacific people create a positive vision for their future,” he said.

ANZ Regional Executive Pacific, Tessa Price, said the partnership with UNDP enables ANZ MoneyMinded to reach deeper into rural communities and target different groups of people, particularly women.

“We’ve already done a lot of work with a number of different groups, including seasonal workers who receive MoneyMinded training before they travel to Australia and New Zealand. This partnership with the UNDP means we will be reaching straight to the heart of rural communities and to women who are at the heart of the household,” she said.