Despite progress in recent years, women worldwide continue to face significant barriers to economic empowerment and gender equality. The stark reality is that many women still lack access to financial resources, equal opportunities, and a safe environment, hindering their ability to contribute fully to socio-economic development. This challenge is particularly pronounced in areas such as financial inclusion, gender-based violence, climate justice, and the digital divide.
Johannesburg, Friday, 26 September 2025 — To address these challenges, women leaders from diverse backgrounds worldwide will converge in Johannesburg for the Women20 South Africa (W20SA) Summit at the Vivari Hotel and Spa from 12 to 14 October 2025.
Women20 (W20) 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.
As the official G20 engagement group dedicated to gender equality and women’s economic empowerment, W20 aims to mainstream gender considerations into G20 discussions and translate them into policies and commitments that foster equality.
Guided by the principles of unity, multilateralism, mutual respect, and inclusivity, the summit aims to guarantee the inclusion of W20 recommendations in the Leaders’ Declaration, honour ten years of W20, and promote people-centric advocacy. As the first G20 summit on African soil, the W20SA Summit will highlight African issues and those of the Global South.
The Summit promises to be a dynamic and engaging event, featuring a range of sessions, panels, and speakers. Highlights include a session on the climate-care nexus in partnership with Wits University, a welcome reception and cocktail function with a keynote address by Auditor-General of South Africa, Ms Tsakane Maluleke. The Walk Free Foundation session will feature five survivors of modern-day slavery.
Other programme highlights include a visit to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) with a breakfast session and CEOs circle, a welcome address by Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi, a ten-year review of W20, and an expert intervention by Linda Laura Sabbadini on measuring women’s empowerment.
The summit will also feature panels on young women’s outreach, amplifying women’s roles in invisible economies, and a facilitated discussion on positive masculinities.
Themed “Women in Solidarity towards a Just Future”, the summit will bring together global leaders, researchers, policymakers, and civil society representatives to advance gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.
Delegations from 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 are expected to attend the Summit.
On 14 October, a communiqué based on the W20SA deliberations will be issued to the Department of International Relations, the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, and the Presidency for onward submission to the G20 leaders.
The thematic areas for W20SA Summit include:
- Financial inclusion and the care economy
- Gender-based violence and femicide
- Climate justice and the environment
- Women; science, technology, engineering and mathematics; and the digital divide
- Health equity for women and girls
- Women, land and agriculture
The Summit’s thematic areas have been informed by extensive consultations with W20 heads of delegation, international agencies, and local stakeholders, aligning with the United Nations sustainable development goals (UN SDGs) and G20 priorities.
According to the W20SA head of delegation and chair, Professor Narnia Bohler-Muller, W20 continues to reaffirm its commitment to achieving the UN SDGs, particularly SDG 5—to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls—as a catalyst for sustainable development.
“We look forward to a vibrant exchange of ideas and solutions at the W20 Summit. Together, we can drive meaningful change and promote sustainable socio-economic development,” says Bohler-Muller.
The Summit provides a platform for women from diverse backgrounds to come together and advocate for policies and programmes that promote women’s economic empowerment and social justice.
The W20 was first launched in 2015 in Turkey to provide a platform for women’s voices to be heard in G20 decision-making processes. Over the past decade, the W20 has become a powerful force for promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment globally.
Proud Sponsors of the W20 Summit include GIZ, IDRC, B20, WaterAid, the Global Summit of Women, Brand SA, the Wits Southern Centre of Inequality Studies and Oxfam.
For more information, see https://women20.org/ or click here.
ENDS.
For media enquiries, please contact Adziliwi Nematandani: Cell: +27 82 765 9191 Email: anematandani@hsrc.ac.za
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