Ahead of the UK Autumn budget statement (29th October 2018) the UK Women’s Budget Group (WBG) provided an important analysis of why austerity isn’t over, especially for women living in the UK. It is a useful point to reflect on the role of tax and its gendered implications. … [Read more...]
Gender
Public Services and Economic Injustice in Tax Break Ireland
The reality of ill-health leaves little time to dwell on rights and justice, or on what might turn out to be empty promises - as the Irish Examiner reports. And while the experience of living with ill health might be said to be something of a leveller, it is not. There is no ‘level playing field’ if … [Read more...]
Tax justice, women and UN human rights conventions: our April 2018 podcast
In this month's Taxcast: Tax justice, women and UN human rights conventions: how we may be beginning to hold governments to account. Also: we discuss scandal-hit Facebook's checks on whether overseas influencers are funding political ads in the United States and why they won't work. And is it … [Read more...]
Economic reforms and austerity: A ‘wicked problem’ impacting on women
In March 2017 the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution mandating the United Nations Expert on Foreign Debt and Human Rights Mr. Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky to consider the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human … [Read more...]
Empowering rural women through tax justice policies: 62nd session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women
How do we empower rural women through tax justice policies? That’s what we at the Tax Justice Network were at the 62nd session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women to discuss recently at the UN Headquarters in New York City. This annual session is an opportunity for State delegations and … [Read more...]
Tax Justice is a feminist issue: call on governments to act
We celebrate International Women's Day today by reaffirming tax as a feminist issue. In advocating for greater tax transparency and accountability we, as feminists, are not only demanding multilateral progressive tax policies and a global financial architecture that recognises and disaggregates by … [Read more...]
The Bogota Declaration on Tax Justice for Women’s Rights
The Bogota Declaration on Tax Justice for Women’s Rights is being launched around the world today (7 December 2017) through online platforms and at tax justice events in Argentina and Chile. You can read the Declaration text in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Arabic and Swahili here: EN / ES … [Read more...]
Tax justice in the Arab world: new research
We're pleased to be able to share the recent work of the Arab NGO Network for Development, a regional network in 12 Arab countries. They've released research (available in English here and in Arabic here) which assesses tax systems in a number of Arab countries from an economic and social justice … [Read more...]
Women’s Rights and Tax Justice: Conference in Bogotá, Colombia
On June 13th, 14th, and 15th, 2017 the Tax Justice Network will be taking part in an important conference of people coming together in Bogotá to discuss the little-understood and under-reported impacts of political decisions on taxation and financial secrecy on women and girls around the … [Read more...]
Tax Justice and Women’s Rights, global days of action are coming
The Tax Justice Network is supporting global partners in highlighting the impact of regressive tax policies and financial secrecy on women’s fundamental human rights, something we campaign on and write about. Here's some information about the #TaxJustice for Women's Rights Global Days of Action. … [Read more...]
Ownership Avoidance, the Great Escape in the Tax Justice Network December 2016 Podcast
In our December 2016 Taxcast: In trusts we trust? We look at the new game in town: beneficial ownership avoidance, the booming industry in alternative escape vehicles from public registers and why we must shine the spotlight on all of them. Plus: we discuss two big stories we think will define … [Read more...]
UN criticises Switzerland and pressure mounts over human rights impacts of tax havens
We've reported before on this blog on the groundbreaking situation whereby Switzerland—ranked number one in the Tax Justice Network’s Financial Secrecy Index - faced tough questions from a U.N. human rights body in Geneva over the toll that its tax and financial secrecy policies take on women’s … [Read more...]
Women, tax and equality: yet again, the burden is disproportionately borne by women
The impacts on gender of tax and spending decisions made by governments although important are often little understood by decision makers. As the UK government sets out its autumn statement the Women's Budget Group is seeking to promote understanding of this issue. … [Read more...]
Switzerland in the UN hot seat over impact of its tax policies on women’s rights
Switzerland—ranked number one in the Tax Justice Network's Financial Secrecy Index —faced tough questions from a U.N. human rights body in Geneva this week over the toll that its tax and financial secrecy policies take on women's rights across the globe. Prompted by a coalition of Swiss and … [Read more...]
More evidence of the links between tax and inequality
The economists Thomas Piketty, Emmanuel Saez, Facundo Alvaredo and Anthony Atkinson have played a big role in helping analyse and popularise the role that tax rate cuts for wealthy folk play in fostering economic inequality, particularly the income shares of the top 1 percent of people compared to … [Read more...]
