As South Africa prepares to host the Group of 20 (G20) Summit in 2025, Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities Minister, Sindisiwe Chikunga, has reaffirmed the country’s commitment to ensuring that gender equality and women’s empowerment remain central to the global agenda.

Chikunga concluded her successful participation in the G20 Women’s Empowerment Working Group (EWWG) Ministerial Meetings in Brasília, Brazil from 9 to 11 October 2024.

A significant highlight of the meetings was the official handover of the G20 EWWG Chairship to South Africa for 2025, marking the country’s upcoming leadership role in advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment globally.

During the closing session on Friday, Chikunga received the symbolic handover of the G20 Women’s Empowerment Working Group Chairship from Brazil’s Minister of Women, Cida Gonçalves.

This transition took place under Brazil’s 2024 G20 theme, ‘Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet.’

In her address, Chikunga noted that as the incoming Ch
air, South Africa will focus on three key priorities to ensure a results-orientated EWWG, and these include:

– The Care Economy: Addressing the critical issue of unpaid work for women, which has long hindered economic equality.

– Promotion of Financial Inclusion: Emphasizing women’s ownership of land and strategic assets, while ensuring meaningful access to property rights; and

– Gender-Based Violence Prevention: Working to eliminate harmful stereotypes and prevent all forms of gender-based violence against women and children.

‘South Africa’s Chairship in 2025 will continue to build on the strong foundation laid by Brazil, while bringing a specific focus to these critical areas,’ Chikunga said.

Chikunga delivered South Africa’s opening remarks as a Troika Member during the Ministerial Meeting, where she highlighted South Africa’s progress in gender representation and women’s empowerment, underscoring the importance of ensuring the social and structural inclusion of women.

The Minister emphasised the imp
ortance of protecting the livelihoods of women and ensuring women’s participation in decision-making processes.

She also reiterated the need to focus on critical issues, including the inclusion of women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and Artificial Intelligence, as well as their role in climate policymaking, energy transitions, and sustainable development.

Chikunga further called for collective action in addressing systemic inequalities, reaffirming that South Africa will champion these issues as part of its G20 leadership.

South Africa will assume the G20 Presidency from Brazil in December this year.

Bilateral engagements

Meanwhile, Chikunga held a series of bilateral meetings with Ministers in various countries, including Brazil, Germany, France, Singapore, United Arab Emirates and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), to strengthen partnerships and enhance cooperation on gender equality and social inclusion.

During the discussions with Ministe
r Gonçalves, Chikunga congratulated Brazil for its successful G20 Presidency and discussed collaboration in the agricultural sector, with a particular focus on empowering women-owned businesses within the agricultural value chain and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.

Meanwhile, the meeting with German Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, Lisa Paus centred on financial inclusion and cooperative banking for women.

Chikunga emphasised South Africa’s priority to establish a cooperative banking institution aimed at supporting women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), fostering economic growth, and ensuring sustainable banking practices.

The Minister also held discussions with French Minister for gender equality and fight against discriminations of France, Ambassador Isabelle Lonvis-Rome, which focused on collaboration in advanced oceans economy industries and high-tech sectors, where women are currently underrepresented.

The two nations also explored o
pportunities to enhance women’s participation in STEM fields.

Source: South African Government News Agency