G20: Holding the line, advancing the legacy

JOHANNESBURG - In the spirit of Ubuntu—that I am because we are—we gathered in South Africa with a shared commitment to advance women’s empowerment and gender equality across the G20 and beyond.

We have done so as Finance Ministers, Working Groups and the W20, all with a common purpose as South Africans and Africans.

Throughout its deliberations over the past few days, the Working Group on the Economic Empowerment of Women (EWWG) engaged with depth, integrity, and resolve and affirmed the centrality of inclusive leadership, economic justice, care work, and digital equity.

The urgency of protecting gains made over decades was recognised as well as the need to safeguard the rights of women and girls in all their diversity.

Yet despite the collective will of the majority, consensus could not be reached on the inclusion of the word “gender”. A term that is embodied in our Constitution (section 9).

This is a warning sign.

It reminds us that progress is not guaranteed, and that even at the level of Ministers, the language of inclusion can be contested. But it also reminds us that dignity is not dependent on unanimity.

The absence of consensus on this point must be named not as failure, but as a call to vigilance. We honour the unity that was forged, the courage of those who stood firm, and the legacy we continue to protect.

Part of this legacy arose thirty years ago.

 30 years ago, in Beijing, the world stood together and declared with clarity and courage that ‘women’s rights are human rights.’ That moment was a promise. A promise to dismantle the structures that silence, exclude, and diminish half of humanity. A promise to build a world where every girl could grow up knowing that her voice matters, her choices count, and her dreams are valid.

 But today, that promise is under siege.

Across continents, we are witnessing a coordinated pushback against bodily autonomy, against gender-sensitive education, against women’s leadership in public life.

Hard-won rights are being reversed under the guise of tradition, nationalism, or economic expediency.

The language of equality is being diluted, distorted, and in some cases, deliberately erased.

This is not a coincidence. It is a backlash. And it is global.

From the rollback of reproductive rights to the shrinking space for feminist civil society, from online harassment to offline violence, the message is clear: progress is not inevitable. Gains can be undone. Silence can be enforced. And patriarchy, when threatened, will lash back.

But here is what they forget: we are not merely defending rights—we are defending memory. We are the daughters of Beijing.

We carry the legacy of those who marched, negotiated, and dreamed in 1995. And we will not let that legacy be dismantled. Because gender equality is not a Western ideal. It is not a luxury for stable times.

It is the foundation of peace, prosperity, and planetary survival. When women lead, communities heal. When girls learn, economies grow. When gender justice is centered, democracy deepens.

So what must we do? 

We must name the backlash. We must fund the frontlines. We must protect the defenders—especially those who are young, queer, Indigenous, and bold. We must ensure that every policy, every budget, every peace table reflects the lived realities of women and girls.

And we must remember: safeguarding gains is not about nostalgia. It is about vigilance. It is about refusing to normalise regression. It is about saying, with unwavering clarity: we will not go back.

Let us hold the line. Let us advance the legacy. And let us ensure that when the next generation looks back, they will say: they did not flinch. They did not falter. They rose.

As Maya Angelou reminded us: And Still We Rise.

• Professor Narnia Bohler-Muller, head of delegation of W20 South Africa, an official engagement group of the G20. This is a message of support delivered on 31 October 2025 at the Women’s Ministerial meeting in Johannesburg.