Taxing better to invest in public services for more caring and feminist societies - Read Magdalena Sepúlveda's op-ed in the media

Magdalena Sepúlveda’s latest open editorial is attracting worldwide media attention. In this opinion piece, our Executive Director recalls the horrendous impact of the pandemic on women and girls, and the critical need to invest in public services to ensure gender equality.

Women and girls have been more impacted by the pandemic, should it be in terms of job losses, house chores and care work falling mainly on their shoulders, social exclusion, isolation, resulting in gaps in pay, social protection and pensions. School closures have also affected girls in a larger proportion, in relation to their access to school, nutrition, health and safety. This pandemic, she explains, must mark a turning point in the way in which societies invest and value public services. It is also a unique opportunity to ensure progressive taxation of the richest individuals as well as to put at end to corporate-tax dodging and end corporate-tax competition.

All over the world, populations have been forced to become aware of the vital importance of public services, such as universal healthcare, childcare, adult social care, education and water and sanitation. Those who have been providing vital work during the pandemic are predominantly women but the working conditions of most of them are deplorable.

We have a solution at hand, through the introduction of a minimum effective corporate-tax rate of 25 per cent worldwide. Any multinational that books its profits in a tax haven would therefore be taxed in its home country up to this minimum rate. This would reduce its interest in transferring its profits to these unscrupulous jurisdictions.

Read the full op-ed here:

Available in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Italian.

Interview

Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona also gave an interview on the same for the Mexican media outlet El Economista - Gravar a multinacionales y súper ricos, necesario para la recuperación económica - Interview of Magdalena Sepúlveda suggesting a global minimum tax rate to fight multinationals’ tax avoidance, which would help cope with the economic and social crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

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