Minister Chikunga Advances Inclusive Economic Empowerment for Women at G20

Sindisiwe Chikunga, South Africa's Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, has emphasized the urgent need for inclusive policies and structural reforms to empower women, youth, and persons with disabilities, especially in rural and underserved communities. She highlighted persistent barriers such as limited internet access, bureaucratic hurdles, and exclusion from financial systems that prevent women from fully participating in economic activities. Chikunga called for recognizing the care economy's vital role, advocating for financial products tailored to women's realities and valuing unpaid care work that supports the formal economy. At the G20 Women Empowerment Working Group, she underscored Mpumalanga's strategic sectors—energy, agriculture, logistics, and tourism—as critical areas where women must gain equitable participation and ownership. South Africa, chairing the G20 Women's Empowerment agenda, aims to integrate grassroots voices and African realities into global policy, proposing initiatives like a Disability Inclusion Working Group to promote global collaboration on inclusion. This comprehensive approach is designed to translate gender equality ambitions into tangible economic outcomes, fostering solidarity, equality, and sustainability.