The WCO completed a gender equality organizational assessment for the benefit of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) from 6 to 10 of February in Accra, Ghana. The assessment was conducted under the framework of the West Africa Security Project (WASP), a partnership between the WCO and the German Central Customs Authority, funded by the German Federal Foreign Office. Recognizing the importance of gender equality and diversity (GED) as prerequisites for achieving sustainable development and ensuring peace and security in West Africa, the project includes a new and innovative component on GED. This component aims to support the partner Customs Administrations of Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and Togo in developing and implementing gender-responsive and inclusive policies and practices with a specific focus on security aspects.

The WCO's Gender Equality Organizational Assessment Tool (GEOAT) provided the basis for this assessment to identify current strengths and areas for improvement to enhance the GED agenda within the GRA.

Through dialogue with several departments, including Human Resources and Training, Communication and Public Affairs, Ethics and Good Governance, Strategy and Research, Policy and Programmes, as well as with representatives from the GRA Ladies Club and from different field offices, the assessment resulted in a comprehensive overview of current policies and practices in place. As part of the assessment, conversations were also held with private sector stakeholders, representatives from the Ministry of Gender Equality and other border agencies, which allowed a broader view of the situation on gender equality in Ghana. A visit was also made to the port of Tema to observe the operations in place directly.

The WCO looks forward to continuing working with the GRA in implementing the recommendations from this assessment and showcasing the good practices implemented by GRA in the WCO’s global knowledge-sharing events.

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