WCO 5th conference of the Network for Gender Equality and Diversity in Customs
15 October 2025
“The WCO has dedicated 2025 to Customs delivering on its commitment to efficiency, security and prosperity […] and pursuing gender equality, diversity and inclusiveness is one of the avenues administrations must travel in order to deliver,” said WCO Secretary General, Ian Saunders, in his opening address to the fifth virtual global conference of the WCO Network for Gender Equality and Diversity on 6 October 2025.
Promoting gender equality and diversity within Customs is not just a question of fundamental rights. Creating a diverse and inclusive working environment remains a key element of staff performance and, as such, the WCO believes its Members must consider addressing GED issues as stipulated in the 2020 Declaration on Gender Equality and Diversity in Customs.
Efforts already taken at the WCO to advance gender equality and diversity in Customs include the development of the Gender Equality Organizational Assessment Tool (GEOAT) and the Blended Training Package on Advancing Gender Equality and Diversity in Customs. In 2022, to respond to increasing demand from WCO Members for support in the area of GED, the Secretariat started working on the development of a pool of “recognized experts” to assist fellow administrations in this area.
To enable the sharing of experiences on the promotion of GED - one of the measures covered in the Declaration - the WCO established a Network for Gender Equality and Diversity and has organized an annual conference since 2021 gathering Customs administrations and their partners.
This year’s event gathered more than 300 participants with discussions centered around two main topics, namely inclusion as applied to disability and partnerships related to GED.
Trade is a game changer for women
Before starting these discussions, the WCO invited Ms. Anoush der Boghossian, Head of Trade and Gender at the World Trade Organization (WTO), to deliver a welcome speech during which she explained why and how policies should support the participation of women in international trade. She highlighted that, while “trade is a master class in empowerment”, exposing entrepreneurs to international standards, quality expectations, innovative practices and building vital skills in negotiation, marketing, and management, women entrepreneurs often face distinct and higher barriers than men to benefiting from international trade, and it is therefore crucial to shape policies and markets with gender equality in mind.
Disability and improving inclusion
The panel on inclusion as applied to disability was moderated by a representative from the State Customs Service of Ukraine, and brought together speakers from the General Directorate of Customs of the Dominican Republic (DCA), the South Africa Revenue Service (SARS) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). They emphasized efforts in hiring and accommodating staff with disabilities, training staff for interacting with colleagues and citizens with disabilities, as well as adapting workplaces in terms of accessibility and culture.
Among the practices discussed was the DCA internship programme, which provides opportunities for young people with physical disabilities (who are hard of hearing or visually impaired, for example) or various neurodivergent conditions to gain an initial work experience and integrate into Customs. Participants heard the testimony of one of the 167 trainees who became a permanent employee. “At first, it may seem like a small project. But I think it is wise to say that major changes can only be achieved when a series of small events trigger them”, he said.
A “disability champion” from SARS whose role is advocating for the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities also shared her experience. “Some disabilities are not visible. It’s up to us as people with disability to educate and to also raise awareness. Our slogan is ‘nothing about us without us”, she declared. The work of the disability champions has led to a better understanding of the challenges faced, improved building accessibility, and the purchase of assistive devices.
The speaker from UNCTAD highlighted the need for governments to design trade policies that would make assistive devices more accessible, especially in low-income countries where it is estimated that only about one in 10 people have access to the assisted devices they need, compared to about 9 in 10 in developed high income countries. “Many developing countries have tariffs and non-tariff barriers that make these devices expensive or very difficult to import”.
Importance of partnerships
The panel on partnerships brought together speakers from Chile Customs, Chilean business sector, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The WCO strongly advocates for more collaboration on the topic of GED, be it with other government agencies, national or international stakeholders, as this can help Customs to enhance their efforts in promoting GED.
Among the initiatives presented was Chile’s “Aduana conecta” programme (Customs Connects) supporting women entrepreneurs wishing to import and export and led by the Customs administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Women and Gender Equity. A businesswoman explained how she successfully managed her first import and export operations thanks to the courses and guidance provided under the project. “I went with my mentor to the Customs office to clarify some points. This motivated me and when the opportunity arose to make an export to Maui in Hawaii, I took it”, she explained.
A unique journey promoting GED
An officer from the NCS, who travelled by motorbike from Lagos to Brussels to deepen her administration understanding of how borders operate, shared her experience at border crossing points. She pointed out the need for border agencies to enhance cooperation to cut waiting times in areas that are often remote and not secure, especially for women, and build gender responsive and inclusive infrastructure. “Commitments to GED cannot be limited to internal human resources policies, it must also extend to the trading community”, she said.
From assessment to certification
Finally, representatives from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) presented their work related to “Equanomics,” and how they accompany ministries of finance to assess and understand the gender impact of fiscal systems to ensure they don’t unintentionally reinforce existing inequalities, and design them to advance gender equality. The “Gender Equality Seal”, a certification process supporting public institutions to mainstream gender and promoting more gender responsive policies, was also introduced. “There is a very strong complementarity between the Gender Equality Seal and the WCO Gender Equality Organizational Assessment Tool (GEOAT). The latter speaks very much and deeply to the specificity of Customs while the other focuses on evidence-based implementation, and provides external validation and a strong incentive in the form of a global certification,” highlighted the speaker.
Next GED-related event coming up
Customs administrations representatives interested in participating in the WCO’s work on GED are invited to join the Virtual Working Group on Gender Equality and Diversity which will hold its next meeting on 4 November 2025.
The WCO Network for Gender Equality and Diversity
The Network was formally launched on 8 March 2022 on occasion of International Women’s Day. In line with the Declaration on Gender Equality and Diversity in Customs, the aim of the Network is to enable Customs officers and leaders to share their experiences and to exchange ideas among themselves and with other participants. Other key objectives include identifying the benefits of implementing gender-responsive and inclusive policies in Customs, as well as ways to ensure sustainable support from senior management and to strengthen collaboration with private-sector stakeholders on these issues.
The Network complements the practical work already done by the Virtual Working Group on Gender Equality and Diversity, which was launched in 2017 with the aim to promote the use of the Gender Equality Organizational Assessment Tool (GEOAT) and provide a platform to exchange practical ideas.
Read the full story: https://www.wcoomd.org/en/media/newsroom/2025/october/taking-an-inclusive-approach-and-leveraging-partnerships.aspx
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Promoting gender equality and diversity within Customs is not just a question of fundamental rights. Creating a diverse and inclusive working environment remains a key element of staff performance and, as such, the WCO believes its Members must consider addressing GED issues as stipulated in the 2020 Declaration on Gender Equality and Diversity in Customs.
Efforts already taken at the WCO to advance gender equality and diversity in Customs include the development of the Gender Equality Organizational Assessment Tool (GEOAT) and the Blended Training Package on Advancing Gender Equality and Diversity in Customs. In 2022, to respond to increasing demand from WCO Members for support in the area of GED, the Secretariat started working on the development of a pool of “recognized experts” to assist fellow administrations in this area.
To enable the sharing of experiences on the promotion of GED - one of the measures covered in the Declaration - the WCO established a Network for Gender Equality and Diversity and has organized an annual conference since 2021 gathering Customs administrations and their partners.
This year’s event gathered more than 300 participants with discussions centered around two main topics, namely inclusion as applied to disability and partnerships related to GED.
Trade is a game changer for women
Before starting these discussions, the WCO invited Ms. Anoush der Boghossian, Head of Trade and Gender at the World Trade Organization (WTO), to deliver a welcome speech during which she explained why and how policies should support the participation of women in international trade. She highlighted that, while “trade is a master class in empowerment”, exposing entrepreneurs to international standards, quality expectations, innovative practices and building vital skills in negotiation, marketing, and management, women entrepreneurs often face distinct and higher barriers than men to benefiting from international trade, and it is therefore crucial to shape policies and markets with gender equality in mind.
Disability and improving inclusion
The panel on inclusion as applied to disability was moderated by a representative from the State Customs Service of Ukraine, and brought together speakers from the General Directorate of Customs of the Dominican Republic (DCA), the South Africa Revenue Service (SARS) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). They emphasized efforts in hiring and accommodating staff with disabilities, training staff for interacting with colleagues and citizens with disabilities, as well as adapting workplaces in terms of accessibility and culture.
Among the practices discussed was the DCA internship programme, which provides opportunities for young people with physical disabilities (who are hard of hearing or visually impaired, for example) or various neurodivergent conditions to gain an initial work experience and integrate into Customs. Participants heard the testimony of one of the 167 trainees who became a permanent employee. “At first, it may seem like a small project. But I think it is wise to say that major changes can only be achieved when a series of small events trigger them”, he said.
A “disability champion” from SARS whose role is advocating for the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities also shared her experience. “Some disabilities are not visible. It’s up to us as people with disability to educate and to also raise awareness. Our slogan is ‘nothing about us without us”, she declared. The work of the disability champions has led to a better understanding of the challenges faced, improved building accessibility, and the purchase of assistive devices.
The speaker from UNCTAD highlighted the need for governments to design trade policies that would make assistive devices more accessible, especially in low-income countries where it is estimated that only about one in 10 people have access to the assisted devices they need, compared to about 9 in 10 in developed high income countries. “Many developing countries have tariffs and non-tariff barriers that make these devices expensive or very difficult to import”.
Importance of partnerships
The panel on partnerships brought together speakers from Chile Customs, Chilean business sector, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The WCO strongly advocates for more collaboration on the topic of GED, be it with other government agencies, national or international stakeholders, as this can help Customs to enhance their efforts in promoting GED.
Among the initiatives presented was Chile’s “Aduana conecta” programme (Customs Connects) supporting women entrepreneurs wishing to import and export and led by the Customs administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Women and Gender Equity. A businesswoman explained how she successfully managed her first import and export operations thanks to the courses and guidance provided under the project. “I went with my mentor to the Customs office to clarify some points. This motivated me and when the opportunity arose to make an export to Maui in Hawaii, I took it”, she explained.
A unique journey promoting GED
An officer from the NCS, who travelled by motorbike from Lagos to Brussels to deepen her administration understanding of how borders operate, shared her experience at border crossing points. She pointed out the need for border agencies to enhance cooperation to cut waiting times in areas that are often remote and not secure, especially for women, and build gender responsive and inclusive infrastructure. “Commitments to GED cannot be limited to internal human resources policies, it must also extend to the trading community”, she said.
From assessment to certification
Finally, representatives from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) presented their work related to “Equanomics,” and how they accompany ministries of finance to assess and understand the gender impact of fiscal systems to ensure they don’t unintentionally reinforce existing inequalities, and design them to advance gender equality. The “Gender Equality Seal”, a certification process supporting public institutions to mainstream gender and promoting more gender responsive policies, was also introduced. “There is a very strong complementarity between the Gender Equality Seal and the WCO Gender Equality Organizational Assessment Tool (GEOAT). The latter speaks very much and deeply to the specificity of Customs while the other focuses on evidence-based implementation, and provides external validation and a strong incentive in the form of a global certification,” highlighted the speaker.
Next GED-related event coming up
Customs administrations representatives interested in participating in the WCO’s work on GED are invited to join the Virtual Working Group on Gender Equality and Diversity which will hold its next meeting on 4 November 2025.
The WCO Network for Gender Equality and Diversity
The Network was formally launched on 8 March 2022 on occasion of International Women’s Day. In line with the Declaration on Gender Equality and Diversity in Customs, the aim of the Network is to enable Customs officers and leaders to share their experiences and to exchange ideas among themselves and with other participants. Other key objectives include identifying the benefits of implementing gender-responsive and inclusive policies in Customs, as well as ways to ensure sustainable support from senior management and to strengthen collaboration with private-sector stakeholders on these issues.
The Network complements the practical work already done by the Virtual Working Group on Gender Equality and Diversity, which was launched in 2017 with the aim to promote the use of the Gender Equality Organizational Assessment Tool (GEOAT) and provide a platform to exchange practical ideas.
Read the full story: https://www.wcoomd.org/en/media/newsroom/2025/october/taking-an-inclusive-approach-and-leveraging-partnerships.aspx