WOMEN market vendors are the first to rise and the last to rest, and investing in them is a smart economic strategy.

That was the message from Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Sashi Kiran at the official opening of the Markets for Change Pacific Women Market Venture yesterday.

“It is such a joy, as soon as you step in and you see these beautiful colours and the beautiful handicrafts, it just automatically hits your heart,” Ms Kiran said.

She told artisans from Fiji, Samoa, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu that their gathering demonstrated true regional solidarity.

“In our Blue Pacific, our marketplace is never just a place of financial transactions. It is the vital social fabric of our communities.”

Ms Kiran…