LocationsFor one Ba market vendor, access to information, family support and leadership opportunities are strengthening her livelihood, family and community.
From the Market Stall to the Decision-Making Table: Lusiana Bulu’s Journey of Change
August 17, 2026
Ba Market Vendors.
UNDP
Ba, Fiji — Before the first customers arrive at Ba Market, Lusiana Bulu is already at work.
She is a farmer and market vendor, a wife and mother, President of the Market Vendors Association and an active member of her church committee.
These roles intersect every day — from the produce she grows and sells, to the decisions she makes with her family and the women she represents at the market.
For more than a decade, Lusiana’s involvement in the Markets for Change (M4C) Project has connected her to training, information, services, meetings and workshops.
But for Lusiana, the value of these opportunities is not simply what she has learned. It is what she has been able to do with that knowledge.
When Information Becomes Empowerment
Access to the right information can make a practical difference for women running businesses and supporting families.
For Lusiana, what she has learned through M4C has helped her make more informed decisions about her business, farming and household finances. It has also given her greater confidence to ask questions, seek information and participate in discussions.
That confidence has followed her home.
With the support of her husband and children, Lusiana is able to attend training, meetings and workshops and bring what she learns back to her family.
“My husband and children support me because they know that what I learn outside the home comes back to benefit our family. We talk together about our income, expenses, savings and priorities. I feel more confident now to contribute to these decisions because I have the knowledge and information to make informed choices.” — Lusiana Bulu, Ba Market Vendor
Her experience shows that women's economic empowerment does not happen in isolation. When families support women to learn, participate and lead, the benefits can extend to the whole household.
From Confidence to Collective Voice
As President of the Market Vendors Association, Lusiana's influence extends beyond her own livelihood.
She understands the everyday realities faced by women vendors — balancing income generation, family responsibilities and the challenges of working in the informal economy. Through her leadership, she listens to other women, raises their concerns and participates in discussions with stakeholders.
Her journey demonstrates an important shift: from individual participation to collective voice.
The knowledge and confidence she has gained are not hers alone. She shares them with other women and uses her position to help ensure that their experiences and concerns are heard.
Lusiana Bulu speaking at the Launch of the ANZ Bank Piloted Saver Plus Initiative.
UNDP
Change that Travels Beyond the Market
Lusiana’s story reflects the many roles women play across Fiji and the Pacific.
Women farm, sell produce, run businesses, care for families, manage household finances and contribute to their communities — often doing several of these things at once.
Their economic contribution therefore cannot be measured only by what they earn.
It can also be seen in the decisions they make, the businesses and farms they sustain, the families they support, the knowledge they share and the influence they have within their communities.
For Lusiana, these different parts of her life are connected.
The information she receives at a workshop can help inform a decision at home. The confidence gained through participating in meetings can help her raise an issue affecting vendors. And what she learns for herself can be passed on to other women.
That is how change travels beyond one individual.
A Different Measure of Success
Lusiana's success is not measured only by the sales she makes at her stall or the produce she brings from her farm.
It is also visible in her ability to enter a meeting with confidence, ask questions, contribute to decisions with her family and represent the concerns of other women.
“Before, I was sometimes hesitant to speak or make decisions because I did not have enough information or confidence. Today, I know that my voice matters. The knowledge I have gained helps me make better decisions for my business and my family, and it gives me the confidence to speak on behalf of other women.” — Lusiana Bulu
Lusiana's story captures the deeper impact of Markets for Change: when women have access to information, skills, services and opportunities and when their families and communities support their participation they can strengthen their livelihoods, influence decisions and create change beyond themselves.
At Ba Market, Lusiana is doing more than earning a livelihood. She is applying what she learns to her business and family, sharing knowledge with other women and using her position to make their voices heard.
Her journey from the market stall to the decision-making table shows how investing in women’s knowledge and opportunities can strengthen not only livelihoods, but their ability to make choices, lead and influence the decisions that affect their lives.
About Markets for Change
Markets for Change (M4C) is a regional initiative aimed at improving the economic security and working conditions of women market vendors in Fiji, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands and Samoa. M4C focuses on strengthening market infrastructure, vendor capacity, and gender equality to create more sustainable and inclusive marketplaces.
The M4C project is implemented by UN Women in partnership with UNDP and with support from the Government of Australia.
For more information, please contact:
Vilisi Veibataki, Markets for Change Project Manager | UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji | (E) vilisi.veibataki@undp.org