SUN CITY RESORT, NORTH WEST PROVINCE. From 6-9 May 2025 the focus was on enhancing women’s economic empowerment via inclusive financial systems as the G20 Financial Inclusion and Women Empowerment Conference 2025 kicked off at the Sun City Resort in the North West Province.

The event forms part of the myriad of engagements as part of the G20 South Africa 2025.

Event Overview
Hosted by the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD), two events ran from 6 to 9 May 2025 and united the 2nd Empowerment of Women Working Group (EWWG) with the Financial Inclusion Conference under South Africa’s G20 Presidency.

Building on the outcomes of Brazil’s 2024 Financial Inclusion and Women’s Empowerment Conference, this year’s assembly aims to influence future G20 policies by introducing a Guidelines Framework for Mainstreaming Women’s Priorities. This will ensure that women’s financial empowerment remains integral to global institutional and economic reforms.

Alignment with Priorities
This initiative aligns with South Africa’s G20 Presidential priorities, specifically EWWG Priority 2: Promoting the Financial Inclusion of and for Women. It also supports global and regional development agendas, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the African Union Agenda 2063, and South Africa’s National Development Plan (NDP) 2030.

The event gathered a vibrant mix of global thought leaders, including international policymakers, researchers, entrepreneurs, and youth delegates.

As the Chair of the Empowerment of Women Working Group, the DWYPD has partnered with the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) to enhance and promote the financial inclusion and women’s empowerment agenda under South Africa’s G20 Presidency.

“The two meetings will further discuss South Africa’s commitment to advancing the empowerment of women and gender equality, while exchanging best practices to accelerate outcomes for women and girls in all their diversities,” the DWYPD stated on 5 May 2025.

Key Themes Addressed

The meetings covered essential themes, including:
• Policy Perspective on the Care Economy: Examining both paid and unpaid care work and household responsibilities.
• Promotion of Financial Inclusion for Women: Strategies to enhance women’s financial access.
• Addressing Gender-Based Violence and Femicide: Tackling these critical issues.

A notable aspect of this year’s conference is its Academic Track, led by TUT’s Centre for Entrepreneurship Development.
The track aims to unite researchers, scholars, and thought leaders through plenaries, policy dialogues, and research presentations, all focused on driving evidence-based solutions for women’s financial empowerment.
“The Academic Track will synthesise knowledge, shape global discourse, and catalyse transformative interventions across public and private sectors,” Dr. Ebewo explained.

Key Objectives of the Academic Track

• Generate Evidence-Based Solutions: Develop innovative, research-driven strategies to support women’s empowerment and financial inclusion.
• Integrate Policy Frameworks: Connect academic insights with real-world policy formulation to create inclusive financial products and services.
• Foster Multidisciplinary Collaboration: Encourage cross-sector partnerships among academia, government, industry, and civil society to address systemic inequalities.
• Incorporate Regional and Global Perspectives: Utilise diverse case studies and best practices, particularly from developing economies to craft scalable and adaptable solutions.
• Support G20 EWWG Objectives: Align academic outcomes with G20 goals to ensure measurable progress in women’s empowerment worldwide.

For a full resource on the G20 South Africa 2025 visit: https://g20.org/

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Article compiled by Karen Landsberg, NWDC
Technical editing by Annemarie Marx, NWDC
Source information: G20.org and Office of the Premier, North West Province