Vanuatu has laid a strong policy foundation for an inclusive private sector that can harness the full potential of women and people with disabilities in driving economic growth, with the focus now on ensuring its effective implementation, according to a new assessment launched yesterday by the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative (PSDI).
The new report, Unlocking Potential: A Gender-Inclusive Private Sector (GIPS) Framework for the Pacific, Vanuatu Country Assessment, highlights recent progress and identifies priority areas for further reform in Vanuatu across seven categories: leadership, workplace environment, financial inclusion, technology, the business-enabling environment, and participation in key economic sectors.
PSDI hosted a roundtable in Vanuatu yesterday at the Melanesian Hotel to present the findings of the assessment, bringing together representatives from the government, private sector, and civil society. Participants discussed priority actions that the government can take to foster a more inclusive private-sector environment and agreed on next steps and coordination mechanisms.
In her opening remarks at the event, Nancy Wells, ADB’s Principal Country Officer in Vanuatu, said, “We know that economies and businesses grow faster with women’s full economic participation. That’s why inclusive legislation, policies, and programs are so important, as they help unlock the full potential of women and people with disabilities in driving economic growth. The GIPS Framework provides a roadmap to help Vanuatu do just that.”
The Vanuatu assessment is based on PSDI’s GIPS Framework for the Pacific, a regional framework that offers governments a comprehensive roadmap to assess and improve progress towards supporting an inclusive private-sector enabling environment.
“The assessment shows that Vanuatu has already made important progress towards a more inclusive private sector. The government has improved business laws, expanded digital access, included gender measures in its trade policy, and planned for inclusive participation in the workforce of the future,” said the report’s author, PSDI Economic Empowerment of Women Expert Sarah Boxall. “Notably, Vanuatu has laid a strong foundation for the collection of sex- and disability-disaggregated data.”
“Still, many barriers remain, representing missed opportunities to boost economic growth. For example, studies suggest that closing gender gaps in employment could increase gross domestic product over time by over 13 percent in Vanuatu. This would mean higher household incomes and allow more government investment in essential services like healthcare, education, and infrastructure.”
The report finds that Vanuatu has developed comprehensive laws and policies that support gender equality and disability inclusion and has established a strong foundation for sex- and disability-disaggregated data collection. However, stronger coordination and implementation are needed to ensure these commitments translate into tangible gains for women and people with disabilities across all areas of the economy.
The assessment recommends enhancing digital inclusion, finalizing the national action plan on women’s economic empowerment, expanding women’s workforce participation to address labor shortages, and facilitating women’s entrepreneurship through evidence-based policy, programming, and outreach.
PSDI is an ADB technical assistance program undertaken in partnership with the governments of Australia and New Zealand. It supports ADB’s 14 Pacific DMCs in improving the enabling environment for business and achieving inclusive, private-sector-led economic growth, including through reforms designed to enhance the economic empowerment of women.
