Suva, Fiji, October 2,2024 –The Oceania Customs Organisation (OCO) is tackling gender inequality in customs in the Pacific by integrating Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) into customs operations across the region.

The initiative, which is part of the Improving Pacific Islands Customs and Trade (IMPACT) Project, aims to create a more equitable and inclusive customs environment in a region where women remain significantly underrepresented in leadership roles.

“This initiative is about breaking down barriers and creating opportunities for all, regardless of gender,” said Ms. Nancy T Oraka, Head of Secretariat of the OCO and the first woman to hold this position. “Across the Pacific, women remain significantly underrepresented in leadership roles, and the customs sector is no exception.”

The IMPACT Project, a collaborative effort between the European Union (EU), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the OCO, will focus on capacity building, creating enabling environments, and promoting data-driven decision-making to achieve its GESI goals.

Current statistics underscore the urgency of the initiative. “Out of the 15 PACP Member Countries, only 4 currently have a female Head of Customs Administration,” Ms. Oraka revealed. These countries are the Republic of Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, Samoa, and Cook Islands.

Mr. Richard Brennan, former Head of the OCO Secretariat and current Deputy Secretary Customs of Nauru, praised the initiative’s potential impact.

“With the launch of the Community of Practice for Gender Equality & Social Inclusion in Customs and Trade, there is now a measurable focus for regional customs agencies to work toward building an inclusive culture across the OCO network,” Brennan stated. providing for better equality for access to trade and business environments. “Through focused training measures and knowledge sharing centres of excellence for our future leaders, we can improve on the development of more female Heads of Customs across the Pacific.

We are lucky in the Pacific, as some of the smartest women I have met in twenty years of working in the region are in Customs and Trade, from the PACER Plus Implementation Unit and UNCTAD, to the OCO with its first ever female Head of Secretariat.  A lot of those ladies came from Customs so in reality, there is no reason we cannot advance our own formidable women,” Mr Brennan said.

Ms. Rachel Goodwin, Comptroller of Customs in Cook Islands, highlighted the current gender imbalance in senior leadership roles. “We learned that gender equality has often been overlooked in customs operations, with women representing only 36% of senior leadership roles,” Goodwin said. She emphasised the importance of support mechanisms like mentoring and sponsorship, as well as implementing inclusive policies.

 The OCO’s commitment to working closely with its member countries and partners to implement and track progress on GESI initiatives marks a significant step towards a more inclusive Pacific region.

END.