Minister Chikunga
South Africa’s Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, has called for renewed global action to tackle ongoing barriers in the fight for gender equality. Speaking at the G20 Empowerment of Women Working Group (EWWG) Ministerial Meeting in Kempton Park, she described 2025 as a year of both gains and tough tests for women’s rights worldwide. As South Africa leads the G20 under the theme of Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability, Chikunga’s words highlight the need to address key issues like care work, financial access, and violence against women. The event, held at the Radisson Hotel and Convention Centre from 30 to 31 October 2025, brought together leaders to push for real change in a world still facing big gaps in gender fairness.
Reflecting on Three Decades of Progress and Persistent Hurdles
Chikunga opened her speech by looking back to the Beijing Declaration from 1995, where women from around the world came together to demand better lives. “Three decades ago, women of the world travelled to Beijing—not as supplicants seeking charity, but as architects of our own liberation. We have come a long way, but profound challenges remain,” she said. This year marks 30 years since that key moment, making 2025 special but also full of tests as old problems mix with new ones like economic pressures and digital divides.
She stressed that gender equality is not just a women’s issue but a global one that needs everyone on board. Drawing from South Africa’s own journey since the end of apartheid, Chikunga noted how the country’s Constitution puts equality at its core, guiding efforts to lift women out of poverty and give them a voice in society.
Key Priorities for Women’s Empowerment Under South Africa’s G20 Leadership
As chair of the G20 EWWG, Chikunga outlined three main areas of focus for the group during South Africa’s presidency. These include tackling paid and unpaid care work, boosting financial inclusion for women, and fighting gender-based violence and femicide. “Throughout our deliberations, it became clear that these three priorities are not exclusive; they are mutually reinforcing,” she explained.
The minister pointed out how unpaid care duties, like looking after kids or elderly family, often fall on women, limiting their chances to work or study. Financial inclusion means giving women better access to loans, banking, and business tools to build their own futures. On violence, she called for stronger laws and support to end the harm that affects millions worldwide.
These priorities came from three big technical meetings held online and in person from February to July 2025. They drew input from global groups, civil society, and private companies, showing a team effort to make real plans that work.
South Africa’s Role in Shaping Global Policy
Chikunga tied the G20 work to South Africa’s values and Africa’s growing voice on the world stage. “We are deeply pleased to have had the participation of the African Union and our sister African countries throughout this working group,” she said. The theme of Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability reflects the need for fair growth that leaves no one behind, especially women and girls.
She thanked past G20 leaders India and Brazil for setting a strong base, helping shift views on women’s roles from just aid to full partners in development. This people-focused approach aims to link gender equality with bigger goals like ending poverty and protecting the planet.
Quoting Mandela: A Call for True Human Rights
To drive her point home, Chikunga quoted former President Nelson Mandela: “As long as women are bound by poverty, and as long as they are looked down upon, human rights will lack substance. As long as outmoded ways of thinking prevent women from making a meaningful contribution to society, progress will be slow. As long as a nation refuses to acknowledge the equal role of more than half of itself, it is doomed to failure.”
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