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Gender Balance Network

The Forum on Tax Administration (FTA) Gender Balance Network (GBN) was launched at the FTA Plenary in Santiago in March 2019. Since late 2022 the Chair of the Network is Commissioner Katrin Westling Palm of the Swedish Tax Agency. 

The GBN aims to be a catalyst for positive institutional change to improve gender balance in leadership positions, and to identify ways of implementing that change. The initiative also seeks to provide a support network at a more individual level to facilitate mentoring and other developmental opportunities, including possible short-term secondments between administrations. The network also works towards giving female tax professionals an opportunity to connect and share experiences virtually.

As noted in the 2015 OECD Recommendation of the Council on Gender Equality in Public Life, there is growing global awareness that gender equality is the cornerstone of inclusive growth. Working towards a gender balance helps create a more sustainable economy and can improve national well-being.

Objectives

To build on the achievements and the work already done by the Gender Balance Network (GBN), the new chair of the GBN, Commissioner Katrin Westling Palm of the Swedish Tax Agency, suggests the following aims:

  • Raise awareness on how and why the tax administrations can benefit from gender balance and diversity among its employees and in the leadership. 
  • Members should act as a role model for gender balance and diversity in general to improve the tax administrations operation. 
  • Be a catalyst of equal rights, conditions and opportunities in the society and thus, impact national well-being.

Structure

  • Advisory Group

The network is overseen by an Advisory Group consisting of the GBN co-chairs, Mr Anders Stridh and Ms Helene de Faire, and senior officials from Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Estonia, India, Mexico and South Africa. The role of the Advisory Group is to manage and develop a sustainable framework for the work of the GBN as well as guide its annual work programme.

 

  •  Gender Balance Champions

The "Gender Balance Champions" have been nominated by their Commissioner, and are individuals of any gender that are committed to improving gender balance and willing to help mentor and develop female leaders within their administration. They form the core network and are responsible for co-ordinating within their organisation, as well as agreeing and implementing plans for activities across the network. They identify appropriate learning and examples of effective practices within their jurisdictions and work with other network members to apply this knowledge to improve gender balance within administrations.

 

  • O.N.E Community

The network is using O.N.E, an online platform where reports and information are shared by the core network.

Panel Pledge

Diversity and inclusion are fundamental values towards which every leader and every organization should be aspiring.One of the most visible areas of gender imbalance is the representation of speakers in public forums and panels. Panels that represent the perspective of only one gender limit the quality of the debate, and potential outcomes of conversations. Furthermore, the absence of a gender balance perpetuates imbalance, as role models for future leaders are not visible, despite qualified and capable women being available.

The Gender Balance Network has developed a Commissioner Panel Pledge which intention is to help address a lack of gender balance on panels. It asks those signing up to question the gender balance on panels to which they have been invited, and to advocate for change where necessary. However, the Pledge does not contain a commitment to turn down appearances on panels where there is no gender balance, since this may be unavoidable.

Gender Balance Network and COVID-19

The Gender Balance Network Champions have reflected on the impacts of the COVID-19 on gender balance through meetings and a survey of FTA members. The outcomes of this work were disseminated to all FTA Commissioners.

Reports

Advancing Gender Balance in the Workforce: A Collective Responsibility 

This report contains examples of initiatives, legislative and administrative, taken by a number of Gender Balance Network members or their governments to support and enhance gender balance. It also provides helpful comparative information, including for the consideration of possible future policies and activities at the domestic level.

Newsletters

Volume 1 - September 2019

Volume 2 - September 2020

Volume 3 - March 2021

  • FTA 2020 Amsterdam Virtual Plenary
  • Report on Advancing Gender Balance in the Workplace
  • Pilot E-Mentorship Programme
  • Gender Balance and COVID-19
  • Celebrating Women in Tax Administration
  • Topics of Interest: Unconscious bias
  • Potential GBN Activity 2021 
 

Commissioner Conversations on gender balance

Gender balance in tax administrations

Interview between Commissioner Naomi Ferguson and Grace Perez-Navarro – November 2020

Naomi Ferguson, Commissioner of Inland Revenue New Zealand and Chair of the FTA Gender Balance Network, speaks to Grace Perez-Navarro of the OECD Centre for Tax Policy and Administration. The conversation covers Naomi’s career as a woman in tax administration, the main considerations for successful gender balance practices, the work of the FTA Gender Balance Network and the impacts of COVID-19 on gender balance issues.

Recorded 8 November 2020