As part of the WCO Women in Customs campaign, we recently had the pleasure of speaking to Gracia Kazzi, Member of the Lebanese Higher Council of Customs. As the first woman ever to hold such a position in Lebanon, Ms. Kazzi told us about the demands imposed by the role and how she handles them.

WCO: First of all, thank you for giving up some of your precious time to talk to us. You are one of the Heads of a Customs Administration that faces significant challenges. Just for once, we’d like to start this interview by asking you to describe your Administration and the context in which it operates.

Gracia Kazzi: I’ll try to be brief, even though the situation is a complex one. Lebanon has endured a series of economic, political and social crises over the past 30 years. Living conditions are very harsh, and this problem is compounded by a volatile security situation.

Against this particularly difficult backdrop, the Lebanese Customs Authority plays a key role by continuing to perform tasks such as goods clearance, controls and enforcement. Our job is to ensure that government tax receipts are collected, to protect public health and security and to guarantee access to essential commodities for the population, since Lebanon imports most of its foodstuffs and raw materials.

The situation is currently changing for the better, with a new President having been elected in January and a new government appointed in February. I hope that they will support Customs capacity building, in particular by recruiting officials and earmarking enough financial resources for us to develop and modernize the tools we need to do our jobs.

We have a good deal working in our favour to help us succeed as a nation: a will to survive, a culture at the crossroads of civilisations and a population that is highly educated, cultivated and driven by a love of life. Our country is also one where women play a full role in society. They often shoulder the responsibility of both running a home and working outside of it.

WCO: What role do women play in the Lebanese Customs Authority?

Gracia Kazzi: Female representation is increasing at every level of the Lebanese Customs Authority.

I should explain that our Customs Authority splits its operations into two different strands. The “operational” side is in charge of Customs policy – both formulating it and monitoring its implementation – as well as controls and enforcement, and the other side is the Customs Brigade, which is responsible for surveillance at the borders and in Customs areas, the fight against smuggling and the provision of support to front-line officials.

There has been a huge rise in the number of women recruited to posts on the “operational” side. They account for around 29% of employees in “Category 4”, which is where all new entrants start after being recruited on the basis of civil service competitions. Given the demands imposed by the job, particularly in terms of long working hours, this is a very respectable figure. What is more, a significant number of women have been successful in the “Category 3” competitions in recent years; 51% of these “Category 3” employees, who work as controllers, are now women.

There are also more women in high-ranking positions, and the five women who currently hold “Category 2” jobs account for 17% of employees at this level.

Customs Brigade employees are recruited directly by the Customs Authority, and, for the time being, they are all men. I am committed to changing this, however, and we intend to open up the recruitment process to women within three years.

Ever since my appointment to the Higher Council of Customs in 2017, women have also been represented at the highest level of the Administration. Currently, all three members of the Council are women, although I am still the only woman ever to have been appointed to the role permanently by presidential decree, since my colleagues are only acting members of the Council. Your readers might be interested to know that I was appointed on 8 March, which is International Women’s Day.

WCO: What made you want to work for Customs?

Gracia Kazzi: My uncle was a Customs official. Back in 1993, when I finished law school, he told me that Customs was looking to appoint assistant controllers, and told me to sit the entrance competition. I was somewhat confused by this advice, since I had quite a negative opinion of Customs. All government agencies were regarded as being corrupt to the core. Yet my uncle explained to me that there were also honest Customs officials who did a good job and who wanted to change behaviours and mindsets.

I had dreamt of becoming a judge, but I followed my uncle’s advice and passed the civil service competition to become an assistant controller for Customs. This was an entry-level or “Category 4” role. There were 6,000 applicants, and 124 who passed the entrance exam. I came seventh overall. After six months of training, we had to take another exam, and this time I came first.

WCO: Can you tell me something about your career?

Gracia Kazzi: After getting a job with Customs, I asked to be moved to the Directorate General so that I could become more familiar with the rules and regulations in the field of Customs. In 1998, I sat the “Category 3” competitive exam, and then the “Category 2” competitive exam in 2005.

At the time, I had two children, and I had to do a lot of studying. It can’t be denied that this was a difficult period, but it was an obstacle that had to be surmounted, and that was the way I saw and experienced it. There were only seven jobs available, and I came fifth in the final ranking.

I was asked to head up the Enforcement Division. This was the first time that a woman had ever been in charge of this Division, which performs a critical and complex task. I had no choice but to succeed, since it was about paving the way for other women to hold jobs with a similar level of responsibility.

Under my leadership, the Division achieved better outcomes than it had ever done before. I think that I was strict but fair; I tried to strike a balance between operational compliance and the human element. We have to remember that companies, in particular very small ones, have their own demands and constraints to worry about, but they still have to follow the law.

The Director-General of Customs in Lebanon is appointed by the government and must observe the “confessional system” enshrined in the Constitution, which states that power is shared between the country’s three main religious groups. Appointments to positions in government agencies must reflect this power-sharing arrangement.

In 2017, the newly appointed government was on the lookout for existing Customs officials who had proven their worth and honesty, and it was then that I was chosen to become part of the Higher Council of Customs, which is made up of three Directors General who operate on a collegiate basis and take unanimous decisions.

I was very conscious that I was once again paving the way for others, and this proved to be the case. I never forget that I represent all of the women working within my Administration, and that I must set an example.

WCO: What thoughts would you like to share with our readers, and what advice would you give to women in particular?

Gracia Kazzi: If you’re a woman, you must seize any opportunity that presents itself to you. You must take the initiative rather than sitting around and waiting for it to happen. That means that you need to be prepared, and to have the knowledge and soft skills required. The word that comes to mind is “wise”: you have to stay in control of your emotions, take the time to think things over and demonstrate empathy, humility and open-mindedness at the same time as being firm.

My advice for women would be not to feel fear, to have more confidence in themselves and to develop their leadership skills so that they can motivate others and make them work as a team. If you hold a leadership position, particularly at the very highest levels, you must guide others on the path to growth. There’s no longer anyone telling you what to do or when to do it.

They should also be aware that a woman in a leadership position is more likely to attract criticism than a man. Making mistakes is human, but it will cost you dearly if you’re a woman.

I don’t stay cooped up in an ivory tower. I’m in regular contact with officials in the field, and I try to be firm but fair. Since women often have a lot of domestic responsibilities, they are sometimes reluctant to accept certain changes to their jobs such as rotations to different departments or new working schedules, yet limiting themselves to specific roles will prevent them from advancing in their careers. I try to make them aware of this, while at the same time being flexible on working hours whenever possible.

WCO: Did you find it hard to balance work and family as your job responsibilities grew? How do you practice self-care?

Gracia Kazzi: I have four children who are no longer really children! My two daughters are at university, and my twin sons are sitting the French baccalaureate. I’m lucky enough to have help at home, which has allowed me to focus my energy on my family and my work.

My husband has always had my back, but he doesn’t get involved in the minutiae of family life. After we got married, I started working while he kept on studying to become a surveying engineer, so I knew from the start that he had no objections to a strong, independent woman.

As far as stress and the pressures of my job are concerned, I simply believe in my capabilities and my good luck. I have a strong faith, and I pray to God every day to thank him and ask him to give me courage. My faith is the well from which I draw most of my strength. It allows me to look at the world with optimism and to forge ever onwards.

I also try to find time to move my body, and I walk for an hour or so three or four times a week. I am a huge music fan, and I sit and listen to it on my own whenever I feel the need. My family know not to interrupt me when I’m doing that!

WCO: What projects are you currently working on?

Gracia Kazzi: Customs reform is a key area of work for Lebanon, and we have several projects in progress. Our IT infrastructure is obsolete and no longer meets our needs, so it needs to be modernized. We have updated the IT system for clearances, and we are working on developing a single window. I have special responsibility for drafting the Memoranda of Understanding with the regulatory agencies involved in goods controls.

Another major project is the recasting of the Customs Code and the modernization of our organizational structure. A merger between the two strands of the Customs authority is envisaged.

WCO: Thank you for having shared your experiences and thoughts with us.

Gracia Kazzi: I’d like to thank the WCO for having launched a campaign that gives a voice to women in Customs. I hope that my career and my thoughts will encourage your female readers to achieve their ambitions.