Fiji addresses child care issues to support female employees in outsourcing industry

Outsource Fiji, the island-country’s promotion and investment agency recently tackled child care issues faced by its outsourcing industry’s female employees. 

In a roundtable discussion Outsource Fiji and International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, talked about how childcare can be addressed to further support the growth of the women who make up two-thirds of the outsourcing workforce.

“The outsourcing services sector has approximately 8,000 workers, two-thirds of whom are women. As the sector grows, so will the childcare challenges in this industry,” said Judith Green, IFC Country Manager for Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands. 

“It’s therefore timely that we are having a conversation about childcare in Fiji and how we might overcome these challenges which can be a barrier to employment, particularly for women. The development of good practices and policies to support parents, including in Fiji’s outsourcing services industry, are important for inclusive economic growth and job creation.”

Outsource Fiji Executive Director, Sagufta Janif said this timely discussion allows Outsource Fiji to look into ways on how the industry body can assist its members, and work with its stakeholders to create relevant policies.

The roundtable aims to set in place policies that would help address roadblocks faced by employees in the outsourcing industry.