WCO collaborates with Expertise France to increase awareness of gender equality in Customs and Tax Administrations in the West and Central Africa Region

From 16 to 18 April 2024, the WCO participated in a workshop on gender equality organized by Expertise France in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The workshop benefitted Customs and Tax Officers from nine French-speaking countries in the West and Central Africa Region (Benin, Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Chad and Togo).

The workshop was organized under the “PARFID” - Regional Support Project for Training Tax and Customs Executives - (Projet d’appui régional à la formation des cadres des impôts et des douanes) funded by the French Treasury.

The workshop served to enhance awareness of the importance of gender equality in Customs and Tax services by introducing different key concepts related to stereotypes and discrimination. It also discussed legal measures and tools to facilitate the implementation of gender-responsive measures, including gender budgeting.

Through a dedicated session, the WCO presented the tools and initiatives launched in recent years to promote gender equality and diversity in Customs, including the Gender Equality Organizational Assessment Tool (GEOAT). Participants also had the opportunity to learn how to use the tool through a practical exercise. The WCO also covered how gender equality and inclusion can be further considered in external policies in collaboration with stakeholders. Participants also shared their countries’ experiences through a dedicated exercise.

The WCO looks forward to building on the workshop’s outcomes in collaboration with Customs administrations in the region.

For more information, please contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org.