Johannesburg: AfricUpdate – News Desk
The Women20 (W20) South Africa Summit has concluded with a call to action for G20 leaders to prioritise key areas that significantly affect the lives of women and girls worldwide. Women20 is an official engagement group of the Group of 20 (G20) over which South Africa presides this year. The group was established by the G20 in 2015 to promote gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.
The communiqué at the end of the summit, which was held from 12–14 October 2025, emphasised important recommendations for G20 leaders to tackle urgent issues. These include entrepreneurship and financial inclusion, the care economy, education, science, technology, engineering, climate justice and violence against women and girls.
The delegates urged the G20 leaders to take concrete actions to address the systemic inequalities and challenges faced by women and girls. “We call on G20 leaders to prioritise the empowerment of women and girls by implementing policies and programmes that promote entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, and access to education and healthcare,” said South Africa’s W20 Head of Delegation, Professor Narnia Bohler-Muller, on Tuesday.
The communiqué was presented to the Minister of Human Settlements, Thembisile Simelane, who was tasked with forwarding it to the Departments of International Relations and Cooperation, Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities, and the Presidency for transmission to the G20 leaders. Speaking after receiving the communiqué, Simelane said that as the only African country that is a permanent member of the G20, South Africa carries a unique and special responsibility.
“We are the fourth in a powerful cycle of Global South presidencies, following Indonesia, India, and Brazil,” she said. She believes this moment offers South Africa an opportunity to bring the African agenda, together with the priorities of the Global South, into the heart of global governance.
“Within the framework of the G20 Social Summit, we hold the Women20 in high regard. The receiving of this declaration is a testament to the power of collective voice and the urgency of coordinated action. It reflects the values we hold dear – equity, dignity, and solidarity, and it challenges us to move beyond rhetoric to measurable impact,” said Simelane. The summit’s closing plenary featured prominent voices in the development and women’s empowerment sectors.
Apart from Minister Simelane, keynote speakers included United Nations Women Representative in South Africa Aleta Miller, Crtve Development Dr Okito Wedi, and Princess of Africa Foundation Yvonne Chaka Chaka. The W20 SA Summit, themed: ‘Women in Solidarity Towards a Just Future,’ aimed to advance gender equality and empower women economically by uniting global leaders, researchers, policymakers, and representatives from civil society.
As an official engagement group of the G20, W20 promotes gender equality and women’s economic empowerment and provides a platform for women from diverse backgrounds to advocate for policies and programmes that promote women’s economic empowerment and social justice. Delegates from over 20 countries, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Egypt, the European Union, France, Germany, Ghana, Japan, Kenya, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Nigeria, Lesotho, Zambia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Zimbabwe, attended the gathering.
