G20 leaders tone deaf on gender equality

Can we rely on the leaders of the G20 — an informal assembly of 19 states that has been in existence since 1999 — to tackle embedded misogyny, hardened patriarchal attitudes, sexism, male privilege, raging intimate partner violence, and the sex trafficking of women?Can we rely on and trust the leaders of the G20 to introduce bold, brave, and substantive gender equality and equity changes? My answer is an emphatic yes “No”. I have stopped counting how many policy briefing papers have been produced on ending gender discrimination at the behest of whichever of the 19 states is at the helm of the G20 at the time.It should therefore not be a surprise when the World Economic Forum’s global gender gap report (2025) and the UN’s SDG gender snapshot indicate that progress in ending gender inequity is stagnating and reversing in many areas, and if we use the current pace as a yardstick, it will take the world 123 years to achieve full gender parity in all areas.That it will take the world 123 years to take millions of women out of poverty and out of the burden of unpaid care work and violence should disqualify any of the G20 leaders — and it should keep them awake and bothered. We expect greater awareness and public policies that are based on compassion and not cruelty. Since 2021 the policy espoused by the “G20 Roadmap towards and beyond the Brisbane target: More, better and equally paid jobs for women” The development of the has been made. At the G20 in Rome in 2021, the leaders emphasised the importance of gender equality and highlighted the crucial role of women’s and girls’ empowerment and leadership at all levels to achieve inclusive and sustainable development.This was followed by the first G20 women’s conference on women’s empowerment in 2021 that focused on the quality of women’s empowerment, the implementation of policy actions aimed at increasing women’s access to positions and leadership, the protection of women’s workplace rights and the elimination of gender-based violence. The summit will be hosted by SA this month, with the theme “Empowering Women”. “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability”. Nevertheless, gender-based violence against women and young girls is a problem in all G20 nations. These countries struggle with social norms and stereotypes that discriminate and are rooted in gender stereotypes. In certain G20 nations, it is acceptable for a husband to hit or beat his wife/spouse if there are specific circumstances. It is also acceptable in some countries to whistle at a woman in the street or touch a woman without her consent, and women’s sexual agency in a relationship is viewed negatively and met with violence. You would yawn if you asked the G20 leaders about these issues at the summit. “It is unacceptable; it is wrong. We have put in place policies and laws to address the challenge. Gender-based violence is a scourge; it is a pandemic. It devalues women and girls, and it promotes negative gender stereotypes and objectifies women and girls.“We are in the process of passing another law to strengthen the criminal justice system; we have empowerment programmes to address women’s financial exclusion and entrepreneurship.“In the next G20 summit we will be announcing measures to end gender-based discrimination and violence against women and girls.“The OECD development centre has developed an update report on progress on social practices, changes in legal frameworks, shifts in discriminatory practices, and gender gaps in outcomes for G20 countries. “We will be tabling the report at the next UN status of women commission, we will be appointing a special rapporteur on violence against women and children, and the recommendations will be tabled at the UN security council, and, and, and…” Three days of spectacular events in South Africa will expose the inability of world leaders to grasp the moment, and to be courageous and bold enough to admit the system is rigged in favor of women. They have to acknowledge that in the past 26 years of the G20’s existence, they have been offering women merely liberal improvements of their situations while preserving intact the overwhelming monopoly of political power by men and leaving unchanged the structures of representation that characterise private relations between the two sexes. Adv Madumise works as a director for Wise4aFrika
2025-11-12 06:48:43