The call was made on Thursday, November 12, 2026, when IWL Executive Director Harold Marvin Aidoo presented findings from the organization’s independent gender-responsive budget assessment at a press conference in Monrovia.
IWL raised concerns about the Government’s projected 42.5 percent increase in tax revenue, emphasizing the need to assess how proposed tax measures could affect women, market traders, small businesses and low-income households.
According to the assessment, proposed tax measures require stronger safeguards to prevent disproportionate burdens on vulnerable citizens and businesses. The organization also reported that only 13 of 122 government spending entities submitted gender-responsive budget statements, highlighting limited institutional participation in gender-responsive budgeting.
IWL further stressed that increased allocations must translate into measurable improvements in maternal healthcare, girls’ education, women’s economic empowerment and protection against gender-based violence. It also called for stronger tracking and public reporting of gender-related expenditure and results.
The organization urged the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, the Liberia Revenue Authority and the National Legislature to conduct gender and poverty impact assessments of major tax reforms, protect women-owned enterprises and informal traders from disproportionate tax and compliance burdens, and strengthen oversight of tax exemptions, concessions and revenue leakages.
IWL also called for mandatory gender-responsive budget tagging across government institutions, adequate financing for essential gender-related services and stronger public expenditure accountability.
“A national budget cannot promote gender equality through public spending while risking deeper inequalities through taxation. Liberia must raise revenue fairly, spend equitably and deliver measurable results for its people,” IWL stated.
