Women 20 (W20) South Africa Summit: report

The Women 20 (W20) South Africa Summit, held from 12–14 October 2025 in Johannesburg, convened more than 200 global and regional experts, policymakers, women leaders, youth activists, civil society, academia, and private-sector actors from 30 countries to address the persistent and emerging challenges confronting women in pursuit of a just, inclusive, and prosperous future. Grounded in the Summit theme, “I am because you are: Women shaping a just future,” the three-day gathering fostered intergenerational dialogue and collective reflection on the interconnected structural forces impacting women’s rights and gender equality, including the climate-care economy, technological transformation, inequitable access to health and education services, and exclusion from decision-making spaces. The programme brought together voices from across Southern Africa, the African continent, and global partners, reaffirming the centrality of women’s leadership in shaping economic, political, and social development. Across ministerial engagements, plenaries, technical dialogues, and artistic and cultural expressions, participants highlighted persistent inequalities alongside the wealth of innovation, resilience, and strategy demonstrated by women navigating—and reshaping—systems that marginalize them.