On the 13 of October 2020, the WCO attended a webinar organized by the Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DGCE), Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia entitled “How to strengthen your administration based on Gender Equality and Diversity”. The webinar was officially opened by Madam Sumiati, General Inspector of the Ministry of Finance of Indonesia, followed by a presentation on the findings from a national survey aiming at comparing the performance and obstacles faced by women and men officers during the COVID pandemic.

Gathering approximately 450 Customs officers from all over Indonesia, the webinar provided an opportunity for the DGCE to raise awareness of the administrations significant work to promote Gender Equality and Diversity. The DGCE have launched various initiatives in this regard, including organizing webinars on work life balance and wellness issues, ensuring that facilities are adapted for persons with disabilities and include breast feeding rooms for women, conducting consultations with stakeholders to ensure that the needs of different groups are met etc. Participants were also able to gain insight on how to use the WCO Gender Equality Organizational Assessment Tool (GEOAT) as a diagnostic and monitoring tool to implement gender mainstreaming within Customs.

The WCO updated participants on the various tools and initiatives that have been developed to promote gender responsiveness and inclusiveness in Customs, including the work with the WCO Virtual Working Group on Gender Equality and Diversity and the development of the Blended Training package. In that regard, the WCO invited all participants to do the e-learning module on Gender Equality in Customs available in the WCO e-learning platform, CLiKC! A number of practical examples from other WCO Members, including from Uganda, Brazil and South Africa were also shared. The WCO congratulates the DGCE for this initiative and looks forward to continue its close collaboration through the Virtual Working Group.

For further information, please contact the Capacity Building Directorate, capacity.building@wcoomd.org.