The Dual Problem That Remains Unsolved

After two decades working across Australia and Asia Pacific, I've reached a troubling conclusion: despite meaningful progress in recent years, many traditional approaches to capacity building are still setting women up to fail.

I've observed significant strides made through aid programs over the past decade, particularly in policy reform and creating more enabling environments. Regional initiatives have successfully advocated for legislative changes supporting women's economic empowerment, established gender-responsive budgeting practices, and created platforms for women's voices in economic decision-making. These foundational policy achievements have been crucial in beginning to level the playing field.

Yet despite these important advances, a concerning gap persists. I've watched countless well-intentioned programs come and go. The pattern remains familiar. Experts fly in, deliver workshops, distribute certificates and workbooks, build networks, set-up systems to maintain the impact, and leave. Months later, on-the-ground reality has not fundamentally changed. Women remain underrepresented in business leadership. Companies still struggle with talent shortages.

Why?

Even with improved policy frameworks, traditional capacity building still addresses symptoms, not systems. It treats professional development as an event rather than a journey. And it rarely accounts for the unique challenges women face in Pacific business environments.

With the AI revolution rapidly transforming global workplaces, women in the Pacific face an unprecedented risk of being left even further behind if we don't build upon policy successes with a radically rethought approach to implementation.

The persistent issues holding everyone back

Across the Pacific, despite policy improvements, I've observed two persistent problems that continue to hold back individuals, companies and whole economies. First, women face significant barriers to career advancement despite their talents and ambitions. Second, businesses struggle to find and develop skilled professionals.

These challenges are two sides of the same coin. Women represent an enormous untapped talent pool. Businesses desperately need their contributions. Yet conventional approaches, even when backed by progressive policies, fail to connect these dots effectively.

A CEO at a major telecommunications company once told me: "We have bright, capable local women on our team, but without ongoing committed mentorship and practical experience of working in a global company, they hit a ceiling. Meanwhile, we keep hiring expatriates for senior roles because we need immediate expertise."

Beyond Workshops and Manuals

Aid programs have successfully established networks, forums, and resources that didn't exist a decade ago. Women's business associations, regional entrepreneurship initiatives, and digital platforms have created valuable infrastructure. However, effective capacity building still requires three elements that most programs lack: continuity, context, and community.

Continuity means ongoing support beyond the initial training. I've seen talented women return from workshops energised but isolated. Without continued guidance, their progress stalls as they face real-world challenges applying new concepts.

Context demands that development be tied directly to business outcomes. Abstract learning without immediate application rarely sticks. Women need opportunities to apply skills to actual business challenges with guidance and support from experienced mentors.

Community provides the network that sustains professional growth. In Pacific business cultures where relationships are paramount, isolated learning without peer support is particularly ineffective.

AI: Widening the Gap or Bridging It?

The AI megatrend represents both the greatest threat and the greatest opportunity for women in Pacific business. AI tools are rapidly transforming how we work, automating routine tasks, enhancing productivity, and creating entirely new business models. But technology adoption follows existing power structures unless deliberately directed otherwise.

Without intentional intervention, AI will likely amplify existing disparities. Companies with resources will adopt AI first, potentially widening the technology gap. Roles traditionally held by women may face greater disruption through automation. And the benefits of AI productivity gains may flow primarily to those already in positions of power.

However, if strategically deployed, AI can become a powerful equalizer. It can help women leapfrog traditional barriers, such as English language and education. It can automate administrative burdens that disproportionately fall on women, and provide access to world-class knowledge resources regardless of location or status.

Technology as an Enabler, Not a Replacement

Technology offers powerful tools for capacity building, but only when deployed with human connection at the centre. AI can enhance learning, streamline processes, and break down language barriers. But it can't replace the human elements of mentorship, cultural understanding, storytelling and relationship building.

I remember a promising communications manager in Port Moresby who had taken numerous online courses but still struggled with confidence in strategic decision-making. What ultimately transformed her performance wasn't another course—it was regular mentorship from an experienced professional who understood both the technical aspects of her role and the cultural dynamics of her workplace.

Now imagine this mentorship enhanced by AI tools that could help her draft professional communications, analyse market data, or translate complex concepts into local languages. The combination of human guidance and technological empowerment creates possibilities that neither could achieve alone.

Building on Policy Progress with a Different Implementation Approach

The past decade's policy achievements have created essential foundations. Gender-responsive procurement policies, financial inclusion initiatives, and legal reforms have opened doors that were previously closed to women. These successes should be celebrated and built upon.

However, true capacity building must now leverage these policy gains by blending immediate expertise with long-term development. It must address both business needs and women's career growth simultaneously. And it must position women at the forefront of AI adoption, ensuring they become leaders—not casualties—in the technological transformation of Pacific workplaces.

This means rethinking how we structure professional development. Instead of episodic training, we need ongoing engagement. Instead of generic or academic knowledge, we need contextual application. Instead of individual learning, we need community-supported growth. And instead of treating AI as an afterthought, we need to integrate it as a core element of capacity building.

Our model combines fractional executive support—where experienced professionals work part-time across multiple organisations—with structured mentorship and technology-enabled learning. We prioritize early and equitable access to AI tools, teaching women not just how to use these technologies but how to shape their development and deployment in ways that advance gender equity.

This approach gives businesses immediate access to expertise while systematically developing local talent, with AI accelerating both sides of this equation. Women learn to leverage AI as a career multiplier, amplifying their impact and visibility while bringing other women along with them.

When implemented well, this model creates a virtuous cycle. Businesses get the skills they need today while building internal capability for tomorrow. Women gain practical experience, professional relationships, and technological fluency that accelerate their careers. And regional economies benefit from stronger businesses, more diverse leadership, and greater technological resilience.

Moving Forward

The policy groundwork laid by regional programs over the past decade has created unprecedented opportunities. However, the implementation approach to capacity building needs evolution. The colonial approach belongs in the past. The future lies in collaborative models that respect local knowledge while providing meaningful, sustained support, with technology as an accelerator rather than a replacement for human connection.

For businesses operating in the Pacific, this means moving beyond traditional training programs to create integrated systems of support that embed both human mentorship and AI-enhanced learning. For women professionals, it means demanding capacity building that delivers not just certificates but transformative skills, relationships, and technological fluency.

And for all of us working in this space, it means building on policy successes with implementation approaches that truly build capacity rather than merely check boxes. In a world where AI is rapidly changing the rules of business, outdated capacity building models aren't just ineffective—they're actively harmful.

The economic potential of Pacific nations depends significantly on ensuring women aren't just included in but are leading the AI-enabled transformation of business. This will only happen when we leverage policy advances with systems that provide ongoing support, practical application, meaningful community, and equitable access to transformative technologies.

The time for a new approach to capacity building isn't coming—it's already here. And with AI accelerating the pace of change, we can't afford to wait.