Sandton: To mark the official launch of the 2025 Women's Month, Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, will host a Women Trade Intervention Dialogue. This event is set to take place at the Sandton Convention Centre in Gauteng on Friday, 01 August 2025.
According to South African Government News Agency, the department will launch Women's Month in collaboration with the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gauteng Provincial Government, Standard Bank South Africa, and ABSA Bank. Women's Month, observed annually in August, pays homage to the significant role women have played in the fight against discrimination, subordination, and exploitation. It also serves as a period to reflect on the progress made over the past thirty years of democracy, while celebrating the resilience and achievements of South African women. This year, the theme for Women's Month is 'Building Resilient Economies for All'.
The DWYPD has emphasized that the Women Trade Intervention will focus on three key priorities. These include supporting the survival of the informal economy across specific economic sectors, identifying sectoral interventions, such as in agriculture, manufacturing, and the Green Energy Sector, and promoting collaboration and leveraging sector agreements to boost investments in local economies.
Minister Chikunga is also set to lead a round table session centered on De-Risking Financial Inclusion of and for Women. This session aims to equip women with essential business skills, market knowledge, and access to opportunities within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). According to the African Union, the AfCFTA seeks to enhance intra-African trade while improving Africa's position in the global market.