PITAA launches the second phase of its Women in Tax (WIT) Mentorship Programme with support from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Developed under the NTO umbrella, the initiative drew inspiration from the ATAF Women in Tax Network (AWITN), led by fellow NTO member ATAF. It illustrates how collaboration within the NTO enables members to build on each other’s experiences and adapt effective approaches to their regions, with the initiative now evolving independently.

The second phase of the PITAA Women in Tax (WIT) Mentorship Programme in the Pacific region was officially announced on 24 September 2025 during the 22nd Annual Heads Meetings of the Pacific Islands Tax Administrators Association (PITAA). This follows the successful completion of the Pilot Mentorship Programme, ran from December 2024 to June 2025, which brought together 12 mentors and 12 mentees from around 14 Pacific tax administrations.

Read about the outcomes of the pilot programme.

Developed in partnership between the Network of Tax Organisations (NTO) and PITAA — one of the 10 regional and international tax organisations that make up the NTO, the Pilot offered monthly virtual sessions on various career development topics, including goal setting, confidence building, workplace leadership, and personal branding. The sessions were complemented with the one-on-one monthly mentorship exchanges. Its completion highlights the NTO’s role in fostering regional networks that support the professional development of women in tax administrations.

The programme builds on the “Manual for the Establishment of Networking and Mentorship Programmes for Women Tax Professionals”, produced by the NTO and inspired by the African Tax Administration From (ATAF)’s Women in Tax Network (AWITN)

The implementation of this new phase will be supported by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). By bringing together relevant stakeholders engaged in promoting the increased engagement of women in the tax sector, PITAA is ensuring the continuation and the further development of its Women in Tax Mentorship Programme in support for women professionals in the Pacific region. The NTO congratulates PITAA and the Australian Government for continuing the work on promoting gender equality in the tax authorities of the Pacific region. 

The orientation for the second cohort was held in Nadi, Fiji from 11–13 November 2025. Following the orientation session, mentors and mentees will have monthly virtual sessions. For further information, please read PITAA's official press release.

The Secretariat of the NTO welcomes this development and looks forward to the continued success of future cohorts of women in tax in the Pacific region.

 

Relevant links:

Women in tax: the mentorship journey of Vanessa Mamu

Empowering women in taxation: the role of women-led networks 

PITAA-NTO launch Women in Tax Pilot Mentorship Programme

Promoting networking and mentorship for women in tax: a manual of the NTO