All focus countries are experiencing high levels of outmigration. Short-term labour migration is largely by men, which is impacting gender dynamics in many sectors, including agriculture and tourism. MDF aims to ensure that work in agriculture and tourism uses strategies that encourage female participation and/or ease workloads. When assessing markets, MDF tries to understand the different roles of men and women and then uses this information to consider ways to influence gender equality at the intervention design stage.

During 2024, MDF assessed disability inclusion opportunities for Samoa, Vanuatu and Tonga. In each country these included consultations with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) about the current situation for people with disability, activities of OPDs, economic opportunities relevant to people with disability and obstacles to greater economic participation. Across all three focus countries, people with disabilities face significant barriers, including discrimination, limited access to education and employment, lack of accessible infrastructure and transport, and insufficient government support.

In Samoa, inclusion efforts have focused on employment programs, women’s empowerment initiatives and agricultural skills development, though challenges such as transport accessibility and workplace accommodation remain. In Vanuatu, a newly established disability database aims to improve data collection, and partnerships in tourism and agriculture are being explored to enhance employment and business opportunities for people with disabilities. In Tonga disability inclusion is largely driven by advocacy groups, with some past efforts in handicrafts, farming and small business development, but sustainability issues persist due to limited resources. In all three countries, there is potential for further collaboration in employment, agriculture, tourism, and small business support, alongside efforts to improve accessibility and government engagement.

MDF is prioritising agricultural mechanisation in Samoa and Vanuatu to reduce the physical burden on aging and mobility-impaired rural farmers, recognising as an opportunity to improve inclusion while increasing productivity. In 2024, MDF started developing opportunities for persons with disabilities as a customer segment in tourism, including ensuring
that tourism activities (Tonga) and transport (Samoa) are designed to accommodate the mobility impaired and older customers.