Historic event on women, human rights and tax justice in Bogota

Last week civil society organisations, researchers, labour union activists and policy makers met in Bogota, Colombia to explore how tax justice issues can ensure governments, multinational corporations and others meet their obligations to women in order to secure their full range of human rights.

The Women’s Rights and Tax Justice conference opened with a conversation between Rosa Pavenelli (Gen.Secretary of Public Services International) Jose Antonio Ocampo, Chairman of the Board of Banco del Republica (Central Bank of Colombia) and Maria Nieves Rico (Director of Gender Affairs, CEPAL) They highlighted how critical it is that multinational companies ‘pay their fair share’ as their contribution to the tax base in jurisdictions in which they operate.

Delegates shared knowledge and expertise on the impacts of the extractive industries, of climate finance and discriminatory tax regimes on women’s human rights. Constitutional and legislative issues, campaigns and points of policy influence were explored, all moving towards a long term vision for collaboration.

The Tax Justice Network was co-organiser of the event and was represented by Liz Nelson, Fariya Mohiuddin and Marta Nuñez, co-presenter of the Tax Justice Network’s monthly Spanish language podcast Justicia Impositiva.

We’ll be writing and researching much more in this under-reported area very soon.