A capacity-building and technical assistance workshop was held in Abuja, Nigeria, from 11–15 November, bringing together tax officers from three Nigerian tax administrations implementing the Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions: the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Ondo State Internal Revenue Service (ODIRS), and the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (KDIRS). Hosted at the FIRS Tax Training Academy on the outskirts of Abuja, the workshop convened over 70 participants, including members of institutional Gender Equality Committees, gender equality champions, communications experts, human resources staff, and others. The event was organized under UNDP’s EQUANOMICS initiative, with pooled contributions from the Republic of Korea and Luxembourg.
During the event, participants received training on taxation and gender equality, with a particular focus on the role of tax administrations in collecting revenue and providing services to current and potential taxpayers. The training covered topics such as gender equality in tax administration, tax policy and gender equality, gender-responsive communications, and the collection and use of sex-disaggregated data. For example, discussions highlighted how tax administrations could leverage sex-disaggregated data to integrate gender equality perspectives into compliance improvement frameworks and taxpayer service delivery strategies, thereby fostering voluntary compliance.
The event also served as a platform for the three institutions to share their experiences in implementing the Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions, highlighting the policies and initiatives they are pursuing to meet various Seal benchmarks. Examples of ongoing initiatives include collaborating with other public institutions to collect and disseminate sex-disaggregated data to inform tax policies and services, updating anti-sexual harassment policies, developing gender-responsive communication strategies, and launching tax awareness campaigns targeting women entrepreneurs and women taxpayers.
The discussion on gender equality and taxation has traditionally concentrated on the impact of tax policies, with limited attention given to tax administration. This oversight stems, in part, from the enduring belief that tax administration is inherently gender neutral. However, this perception is gradually shifting. Through its work with tax administrations worldwide, UNDP has observed notable progress as these institutions begin integrating gender equality perspectives into their operations. The Gender Equality Seal has emerged as an effective framework to guide this institutional transformation, with eight tax administrations currently implementing the Seal and many others expressing interest.
