24 South Pacific Island Nations' Women Entrepreneurs Gathers for Annual Leadership & Business Training

• 24 South Pacific Island nations’ female entrepreneurs gathered at Guam Community College
• GCC hosted Young Pacific Leaders Academy for Women Entrepreneurs

At Guam Community College, 24 South Pacific Island nations’ female entrepreneurs gathered, as part of an annual leadership and business training. Sharing a single mission, these women entrepreneurs are focused on expanding their network while amplifying their voices. They will also aim towards empowering fellow islanders, specifically women, to lead.

The Young Pacific Leaders Academy for Women Entrepreneurs is being hosted by GCC. It is an initiative which is assisted by the US government under the YPL program that launched in the year 2013.

Including weekly online sessions, this academy culminates in a 5-day in-person conference entitled as ‘Where Dreams Become Reality’ getting through Friday on the GCC campus.

Designed to equip rising Pacific women business leaders, this program will provide tools for growth, proposing a platform for them, so that, they can develop actionable business plans while gaining hands-on strategies for fostering sustainable change in their respective communities.

A Zumba instructor and procurement consultant from the Solomon Islands Everlyn Dasi who’s one of those leading the charge said, “It’s not just a class, it’s a community of women that we do charity work with. At first, they were shy and closed off, but after a few weeks, they built confidence and were able to explore other forms of exercise beyond Zumba.”

She added, “There weren’t many places for women to exercise. So, I decided to get licensed and offer classes, because many women were neglecting their own well-being while caring for their families. They need to take care of themselves, too. I wanted to learn from these women and also advocate for mental health. A lot of the women here are already well-established, and I want to know how to establish my own business. In the past, women were expected to stay home, cook, and take care of the family. But now, more women are exercising and pushing past those barriers, with men gradually accepting and supporting their wives.”