In just a few weeks, Johannesburg will welcome the world as it hosts the Women20 South Africa (W20SA) Summit from 12–14 October 2025. This landmark gathering comes at a historic moment: South Africa holds the G20 presidency, the first time the global summit is being hosted on African soil. Within this context, W20 takes on special significance, as it represents the official G20 engagement group dedicated to gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.

The W20 Summit will draw women leaders, policymakers, academics, civil society organizations, and advocates from across the globe. Together, they will confront some of the most urgent issues shaping the lives of women today. Key themes on the agenda include financial inclusion and the care economy, gender-based violence and femicide, climate justice, health equity, STEM and the digital divide, as well as women’s role in land and agriculture.

Beyond its central sessions, the summit will highlight unique dialogues that promise to spark deeper reflection and action. A partnership with the University of the Witwatersrand will lead a special focus on the climate-care nexus, while the Walk Free Foundation will bring powerful voices of survivors of modern slavery into the conversation. Other sessions will explore the importance of positive masculinities, the informal economy, and creating opportunities for younger women and future generations.

Delegations are expected from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Cameroon, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and many more countries, making Johannesburg a true crossroads of global women empowerment dialogue. At the heart of these exchanges lies a clear mission: to ensure that W20’s recommendations are reflected in the G20 Leaders’ Declaration, reinforcing a decade-long effort to place women at the center of sustainable development.

As Professor Narnia Bohler-Muller, Chair of W20SA, reminds us, achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5 : gender equality is not only a moral imperative but also a practical cornerstone of building fairer, stronger societies. The Johannesburg summit is key conference and a moment for Africa to amplify its voice on the world stage, weaving the challenges and innovations of the Global South into the global conversation on equality and empowerment.

For South Africa and for the continent at large, this is a gathering that signals both recognition and responsibility. October’s W20 Summit will not simply mark history, it aims to help shape the future.