Honoring and enhancing women’s leadership needs to be at the heart of the agenda of both the South African Presidency of the 2025 G20 and the African Union. The G20 Interfaith Forum that will meet in Cape Town in August 2025 offers an opportunity to move forward with a creative collaboration with women from religious, political, corporate, academic, and civil society communities. The central challenge is to move from a shared and often articulated commitment to women’s empowerment, equity, and sustainable development and rather fragmented efforts to carry it through, to meaningful action at the community and national levels.
With compelling evidence on women’s vital roles across many sectors of activity, and against the backdrop of robust evidence and promises, why is it proving so difficult for women to play more effective roles in policy and governance decisions? Clear engagement and leadership in the G20 process can make a material difference in addressing the gaps. That means hearing women’s perspectives on the full gamut of issues that the G20 Summit will address.
Women from religious communities, often invisible in such forums, can play critical roles in this move from promise to action. Perhaps most vividly in Africa, many who dedicate their lives to serving those at the margins, those left behind, feel the pulse of communities. They are keenly aware of hopes and pain, and see clearly actions and programs that fall short and those that show the greatest promise. They hold a sacred trust and come with a determination to care and never to stop short in seeking solutions. But their efforts often go unseen, unheard, and unsupported.
To take the Catholic community as a case in point, the Church has long faced calls for broader inclusion. The late Pope Francis played notable roles in advancing the conversation around women’s leadership within the Church and the global community, working to elevate women's roles within its structures and appointing women to high-ranking Vatican positions previously held only by men. He called repeatedly for a more “incisive” presence of women in the Church and society and encouraged dialogue around women’s dignity, justice, and participation in leadership. These promising actions need to continue. They reflect both the need and symbolic and practical shifts toward recognizing and empowering women’s leadership in faith contexts. This aligns closely with broader movements for gender justice across the globe.
Essential priorities for women’s empowerment involve each and every issue on the G20 and the African Union agendas. They cover sectors from politics (ministerial and parliamentary representation), economic and financial reforms, education, health care, small business, and academia. For each topic, whether it is the impact of unsustainable debt burdens, weak implementation of laws on land ownership and property inheritance, patchy support for those who care, children married too soon or trafficked, or the tragically persistent problems of violence against women from domestic settings to conflict situations, leading questions for those at policy tables must be: What is the impact on women? What wisdom can we learn from women’s experience and observation? And how can women be more directly involved in both policy and implementation? How do we move to an authentically enabling environment?
Women-led grassroots movements are at the forefront of advocating for justice, equity, and sustainable development. They provide essential services and advocacy at the community level and they serve as powerful engines for systemic change. From organizing shelters and support networks for survivors of gender-based violence to leading climate resilience projects in vulnerable regions, women are shaping more inclusive, responsive, and resilient societies. They are central to the shared goals of stronger social protection. Women fill many gaps left by formal institutions during humanitarian crises, coordinating aid, disseminating vital information, and ensuring that marginalized voices are heard and respected.
African women have taken leadership in prominent global bodies, including the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the African Union (AU), signaling a growing global footprint. The 2025 International Women’s Day theme, "Accelerate Action," is a powerful call not just for women but for us all, women and men, to push actively for gender equality. It is not just about conversations; but about making deliberate moves that create a lasting impact. We must push forward with intention, ensuring that today’s efforts build a stronger, more inclusive tomorrow.
A key area for action is to support women-led organizations working for more inclusive and equitable societies, including first and foremost access to decision-making spaces. Structural barriers that limit their participation need to be removed and steps taken to ensure that funding mechanisms are flexible and accessible. This is a matter of justice but still more a strategic investment in peace, development, and democratic governance. Successful action to implement the Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls in Africa (AU-CEVAW) hinges on mobilizing civil society, policymakers, traditional leaders, and most important, women themselves. There, it is vital that women see confidence and resilience as non-negotiable. We need to be bold and intentional in taking every opportunity to be present, to voice ideas, and to stay focused on priority goals.
The barriers can seem daunting. Cultural and societal norms still place many women in subordinate roles, prioritizing domesticity over leadership. Gender bias and discrimination undermine women’s authority and contributions in leadership. Limited access to resources and opportunities, such as education, mentorship, and networks, restricts professional growth. Work-life balance and the lack of supportive workplace policies present persistent hurdles. Tokenism can result in symbolic representation without substantive influence. And double standards often judge assertive female leaders more harshly than male counterparts.
But we know the key enablers of progress. Prominent are legislation to enforce gender quotas that catalyze change, determined action to improve education and leadership training to equip women with critical skills, mentorship, and networking to build professional confidence and access, leadership to change societal perceptions of leadership roles for women, and organizational policies that support work-life balance and foster inclusivity. Empowering women means more than representation; it means placing their priorities at the heart of decision-making. Protection from gender-based violence is a political and moral imperative and proactive leadership is needed. Involving women in peacebuilding is strategic, not symbolic. With Africa’s intersecting crises: hunger, climate shocks, violence, displacement, terrorism, and xenophobia, women must be empowered as part of every solution.
Women across Africa are demonstrating leadership in every sector, challenging norms, and reshaping futures. Yet, for this progress to be sustained and scaled, intentional investment in women’s leadership is essential, through policy, education, resources, and inclusion. Women belong not only on the agenda but at the table, shaping agendas. Women's leadership is not optional. It is essential. Msgr. Celestino Migliore, of the Holy See at the 61st session of the General Assembly of the United Nations on the promotion of Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, observed: “That women in society must be involved in decision-making is not only a right for reasons of equality, but also for the specific insights that women bring to the process. This 'feminine genius' will prove most valuable, as women increasingly play major roles in the solution of the serious challenges the world is facing.”
