The African Tax Administration Forum’s Women in Tax Network (AWITN) has called on G20 countries to convert gender equality commitments into practical reforms, as leaders meet in Johannesburg five years before the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) deadline.
ATAF, a member of the G20 Empowerment of Women Working Group (EWWG), contributed to the group’s deliberations ahead of this month’s summit, where South Africa is chairing the G20 for the first time.
The working group’s Chair’s Statement highlights the need to strengthen women’s economic participation and address persistent inequalities in care work, financial access and exposure to gender-based violence.
Africa faces what the United Nations describes as a widening SDG financing gap, with the continent needing nearly USD 1.7 trillion annually to meet its development targets.
Cuts to external financing linked to conflict, climate-related disasters and economic slowdowns have placed additional pressure on programmes supporting women and girls.
The African Union’s Agenda 2063 indicators on gender equality are also off-track, according to recent continental assessments.
The G20 under South Africa’s presidency has prioritised the care economy, women’s financial inclusion and the prevention of gender-based violence and femicide.
AWITN says these policy areas are increasingly relevant for African governments seeking to improve domestic revenue mobilisation while reducing gender disparities in the tax and labour systems.
In 2025, AWITN expanded several programmes aimed at strengthening women’s participation in tax administration.
Its mentorship scheme paired 98 women with senior professionals, while sponsorships targeted women enrolled in technical training through the ATAF Tax Academy.
The network also launched a pilot project on gender-disaggregated tax data in selected countries to support evidence-based fiscal policy.
AWITN convened a leadership conference in Cape Town in March and is finalising its 2026–2030 strategy.
By late 2024, 23 ATAF member states had signed the AWITN Pledge, committing to gender equity initiatives supported by ATAF’s leadership.
The incoming AWITN chair, Sierra Leone’s Commissioner General Jeneba Bangura, will steer the network’s next phase.
The EWWG Chair’s Statement acknowledges the need to recognise and reduce unpaid care work—primarily carried out by women—and to improve representation within paid care sectors.
It also calls for expanded economic opportunities for women and stronger action to address gender-based violence.
AWITN says gender-disaggregated tax data can help governments identify fiscal measures that disproportionately affect women.
It cites the ongoing AWITN and Rwanda Revenue Authority study on the impact of Rwanda’s VAT exemption on sanitary towels.
Although zero-rating feminine hygiene products could reduce retail prices by an estimated $0.60 per packet in South Africa, AWITN reports that Rwandan consumers have not benefited from similar tax relief, with prices rising since the exemption was introduced in 2019.
The network’s new strategy will prioritise workplace equality and reforms to the care economy.
AWITN says greater access to public services such as health, education, water and social protection could reduce unpaid care responsibilities and enable women to enter formal employment.
The G20’s 2025 statement reaffirms commitments made during the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
AWITN says it will continue to work with African governments and global partners to ensure the G20’s pledges translate into measurable progress.