Utilizing fiscal policy as a tool to tackle the gender-specific impacts of health-harming products offers a compelling yet underappreciated avenue for advancing women's empowerment. The implementation of health taxes on items such as tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages carries substantial gender implications, providing a unique opportunity to alleviate the factors that contribute to women’s disempowerment. This policy brief synthesizes findings from scientific literature and global case studies to illustrate how health taxes can serve as a catalyst for promoting equitable, just, and sustainable development.

An accessible format version of this Policy Brief is available for persons who are blind or slightly sighted: https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/2025-03/policy-brief-empowering-women-through-health-taxes-accesslble-format_0.pdf