Six months into the Gender Equality in Taxation – Fair Tax Monitor (GET-FTM) Project, and tangible progress has been made. Supported by Expertise France, the initiative aims to reduce gender inequalities embedded in fiscal systems in Benin, Cameroon, and Senegal, ensuring tax policies better respond to the needs of women and girls.

Since the project launch in April and following a training event in Dakar, Senegal, in May, at which the Make Tax Fair team worked with civil society organizations through a series of workshops to highlight the links between tax and gender in Western and Central Africa, partners have achieved key milestones:

• New Gender-Sensitive Methodology: A revised Fair Tax Monitor framework integrating gender perspectives into tax analysis has been developed.
• Capacity Building: Civil society organizations (CSOs) in Benin and Cameroon have strengthened their ability to analyze tax systems and advocate for reform. The regional training in Dakar, which brought together CSOs and experts to explore the intersection of taxation and gender was vital to this development
• Research Underway: National partners in Benin and Cameroon have drafted initial sections of their Tax & Gender Reports, applying the new methodology to assess fiscal fairness and its impact on women.

Alongside these successes, some challenges have also emerged. The Senegalese partner withdrew early in the process, prompting efforts to onboard a new organization. Likewise political instability in Cameroon and upcoming elections in Benin have also required adaptive strategies to maintain momentum.

Looking ahead, however, we are excited to build on progress made and are optimistic about the next phase. In the coming months we will focus on validating research findings, publishing national reports, and translating evidence into tools for engaging with and influencing policy. Advocacy campaigns and high-level discussions with finance ministries and tax authorities are planned. It is hoped that, supported by the evidence generated through the new gender‑sensitive methodology and equipped with a deeper understanding of how to present findings and communicate the impact of gender inequality in fiscal systems, these dialogues will help ensure that gender equality becomes a cornerstone of fiscal policy.

As the project moves forward, one thing is clear: gender-responsive taxation is not just a technical exercise. While gender-sensitive and gender-transformative tax policies can boost economic growth and widen the tax base, at its core it’s also about improving the fairness and equitability of tax systems and is a key pathway to social justice.