Global Policy Influence

• Integration into G20 Leaders’ Agenda – W20 has secured stronger commitments to ensure its recommendations are explicitly reflected in the upcoming G20 Leaders’ Declaration. 
• Global South Leadership – For the first time, the W20 is being steered from the African continent with Ubuntu as its defining value, reframing gender equality as both a moral and economic imperative. 
• 10-Year Legacy Project – W20 South Africa has begun compiling a decade-long record of recommendations, highlighting successes and identifying gaps for the next phase of advocacy. 

Evidence-Based Advocacy

• Launch of W20SA – The February 2025 launch in Pretoria brought together policymakers, researchers, and activists to commit to evidence-based policymaking for women’s empowerment.
• Sector-Specific Task Teams – Working groups have been established on entrepreneurship, care economy, GBV & femicide, climate justice, STEM education, health equity, and women’s land rights.
• Data-Driven Recommendations – The W20 has begun developing 3-year implementation projects with measurable outcomes, particularly targeting inclusive economic recovery, climate resilience, and health system strengthening. 

Shifts in Narrative & Representation

• From Consultation to Co-Creation – The W20 has amplified the principle of “Nothing for us without us”, ensuring women—especially from rural and marginalised communities—are not just consulted but are co-authors of policy. 
• STEM & Leadership Push – There’s been a strong emphasis on getting women into decision-making roles in science, technology, and innovation, with funding models that account for career breaks and caregiving responsibilities. 
• Global Solidarity Messaging – The theme “Women in Solidarity towards Sustainable Socio-Economic Development” has been used to connect gender equality to climate justice, food security, and economic resilience. 

Mid-term Outcomes

• Greater visibility of African perspectives in G20 gender policy debates. 
• Stronger cross-sector partnerships between governments, research institutions, and civil society. 
• A shift towards multi-year, trackable commitments rather than one-off recommendations

Summary of recommendations

By delivering actionable, time-bound policy proposals, W20 fills a gap in the G20 process, aligning macroeconomic strategies with the lived realities of women worldwide and championing SDG 5 on gender equality. In 2025 the W20 urges G20 leaders to act decisively across six strategic domains to unlock the full economic potential of women and girls. This is not a social agenda—it is a high-return investment strategy with the power to reshape global prosperity. The cost of inaction is measured in trillions.

1. Entrepreneurship & Financial Inclusion

• Up to $5 trillion ROI by achieving gender parity in entrepreneurship.
• Actions: Reform legal frameworks, expand access to finance through initiatives such as We-Fi at the World Bank, and set procurement targets for women-led businesses.

2. The Care Economy

• $3.76 return for every $1 invested in care infrastructure.
• Actions: Invest 10% of national income in care systems by 2030, reduce unpaid care gap by 35%, and elevate care work through fair labour standards.

3. Education, STEM & Digital Inclusion

• $5 trillion GDP boost by 2030 from closing the digital gender gap across G20 nations. Bridging the mobile internet gap in low- and middle-income countries alone could add $1.3 trillion.
• Actions: Fund digital literacy programs, mandate STEM scholarships, and launch a Global AI & Gender Equality Index.

4. Climate Justice & Food Security

• Women’s leadership and participation are essential to attain Net-Zero & Zero Hunger targets
• Actions: Ensure 50% female participation in energy value chains, recalibrate climate finance, and secure land rights for carbon market access.

5. Health Equity for Women & Girls

• Up to $1 trillion annually in economic returns from investing in women’s health.
• Actions: Institutionalise gender-responsive health systems, guarantee SRHR access, and integrate mental health into universal coverage.

6. End Gender-Based Violence & Femicide

• GBV drains up to 3.7% of global GDP.
• Actions: Fund survivor support systems, criminalise tech-facilitated GBV, empower women in crisis leadership, and eliminate modern slavery.

The W20’s proposed reforms could unlock multi-trillion-dollar gains for global GDP thereby transforming gender equity from a moral imperative into an economic imperative.