W20 Communiqué 2024

Women 20 2024 calls upon G20 leaders to: 

• Implement  actions  to  achieve  women’s  economic  empowerment  and  gender  equality 

commitments agreed to in the last nine G20 Leaders’ Declarations; 

• Implement the 2014 Brisbane commitment (25×25) to reduce by 25% the participation gap of women in the labor force by 2025. According to the 2024 ILO/OECD Report, only half of the G20 members will achieve the Brisbane target. 

• Implement additional agreed upon commitments to advance women’s equality including: (a) halve the digital gender gap by 2030, (b) increase women’s participation in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), (c) implement Women Entrepreneurs (WE) Finance code, (d) end violence against women, and (e) invest in social protection, care infrastructure and services. 

• Fulfill G20 Leaders commitment to enhanced Women Led Development and put women at the center of all development processes. 

• Measure, track and publicly report on an annual basis the progress of G20 investment in women at both a collective G20 level and at a national level by tracking and reporting the funding initiatives agreed to in the Leaders’ Declaration. 

• Create a standardized G20 Gender Outcome Dashboard which can be used for evidence-based policymaking and prioritize initiatives to advance G20 gender equality. 

• Dedicate funding to National Statistics Offices and related ministries for collection and analysis of gender-sensitive and sex-disaggregated data, tracking unpaid care work and tracking violence against women (including unreported) and measuring total economic cost. 

• Achieve Sustainable Development Goal #5 (SDG-5) Gender Equality by 2030 by meeting and 

raising current commitments, such as: 

• Reduce the participation gap of women in the labor force by 50% (instead of 25%); 

• Develop at least mandatory minimum paid parental leave schemes assuring all countries are in compliance with a minimum of 14 weeks maternity leave (a standard used in ILO Convention 183) contributing to long-term economic growth; and 4 weeks (include 

non-transferable entitlements) for a second caregiver to promote shared responsibility and a better work-life balance; for those countries who meet and exceed the minimum standard, maintain the current benefit. 

• Identify, recognize, and address the specific barriers to women, including afro descendent and Indigenous, those from rural communities and those with disabilities, to ensure no woman is left behind. 

• Increase and dedicate funds for current and prior G20 Gender Equality Commitments. 

Requiring and delivering gender equality, inclusion and empowerment of women and girls in all their diversity will result in increased economic and social growth that strengthens resilience for G20 countries.

 

We call upon G20 Leaders to act on the recommended actions across five priority areas: 

1.  ​ ENTREPRENEURIAL WOMEN: ACCESS TO FINANCING, CAPITAL, AND MARKETS 

Women’s entrepreneurship serves as a cornerstone and a catalyst for robust economic expansion, enhanced innovation, and equity. Gender balance in entrepreneurship could amplify global GDP by 3-6%, equating to $2.5-$5 trillion. 1 To actualize this potential, G20 nations are called upon to deploy policies to increase access to capital and market opportunities for women entrepreneurs through all the different stages of growth by incentivizing investment by commercial banks, development banks, FinTech Companies, angel investors and governments to adopt and employ an intersectional focus. 

1. Design financial instruments, and supportive entrepreneurial policy, law, and frameworks that utilize blended finance to engage public, private, philanthropic, and multilateral banks and institutions to advance business and financial equality for women of varied racial and ethnic backgrounds. A strong proven framework that exemplifies this is the Women Entrepreneurs (WE-Fi) Finance Code. 
2. Commit to collecting and tracking sex-disaggregated data collection on grants, loans, debt finance, gender bonds and equity-based finance. Develop methodologies for credit scoring and loans without the requirement for collateral, or alternative collateral requirements. Include digital and financial literacy in programs for women entrepreneurs. 
3. Increase women’s access to domestic and international markets through public (Gender-Responsive Public Procurement, GRPP) and corporate procurement. Facilitate women’s engagement in external markets through trade fairs and targeted interventions (capacity building, mentorships, networking, etc.) to build their knowledge and ability to meet international standards in international trade, e-commerce and e-procurement. 
4. Ensure tax incentives for investors (including microfinance, angel investors, venture capitalists, and private equity) to support women entrepreneurs, including tax deductions, credits, capital gains tax concessions, and government co-contributions. Provide tax incentives and/or credits for female entrepreneurs and their businesses.

2. CARE ECONOMY 

Funding high quality comprehensive care systems is an investment necessary to achieve SDGs 3, 5, 8 and 10. As part of its strategy to close the labor force participation gap (Brisbane Goal), G20 leaders must prioritize the care economy. Adopting this approach will advance gender equality and economic empowerment for women and generate substantial returns in job creation, labor force participation, productivity levels, poverty reduction, human capital, and tax revenue. Every dollar invested could result in an average GDP increase of 3.87 dollars, ranging between 1.27 dollars in South Africa to above 5 dollars in countries such as Australia, Italy, Japan and the Republic of Korea. Unpaid care, based on available time-use data, has been estimated by the ILO to equate to 9% of global GDP, or about $11 trillion USD2. 

1. Reduce and promote an equal redistribution of unpaid care work by implementing government policies that integrate education, healthcare, and social services to support caregivers and provide inclusive, high-quality, and affordable care that is accessible to all, with a focus on children, older persons, persons with disabilities, and other dependents. 

 

1 World Bank https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099725201232311026/pdf/IDU09d78e3cf0b38f04fb20af0405b1d4ae194b0.p df
2 ILO

2. Recognize, measure and value care work, particularly unpaid and informal care work, by systematically collecting and sharing quality, sex-disaggregated, and comparable data. 

3. Reward paid care work and provide greater dignity for providers by actions and policies that promote fair employment practices, decent work, and social protection. 

4. Commit to increasing critical and sustainable public investments in comprehensive care services and infrastructure, work towards affordable care systems, and support public-private funding models and innovative technological solutions, while also advancing policies that ensure equitable access to care and address systematic disparities across different communities. 

  3. ​ WOMEN IN STEM  

The gender gap in STEM fields, particularly in ICT and AI, presents significant challenges that hinder economic growth and social equity. Women, especially those from underrepresented groups, face substantial barriers at educational and professional levels. According to UNESCO, only 35% of global enrollments in higher education in STEM are women. Addressing these gaps is crucial, as AI has the potential to contribute an additional $13 trillion to the global economy by 2030. 3 

1. Build gender-equitable AI technologies through funding research and collaboration, emphasize accurate and gender-neutral data-cleaning processes, and adopt ethical AI guidelines across sectors. Ensure women serve in leadership roles so that AI has positive benefits that reach all, especially women and girls. 
2. Invest in the development of impactful, inclusive digital tools and public services to decrease existing inequalities and reach underserved communities. 
3. Provide equitable access to primary and secondary education to girls and lifelong learning for women and girls of all ages. Allocate scholarships and funding, especially for those in disadvantaged circumstances, in order to pursue education at all levels in STEM. 
4. Create employment opportunities (including return to work). Develop recruitment, retention and career advancements strategies to foster women leaders in STEM for public and private sectors to motivate more women to opt for STEM education. 

 4. WOMEN AND CLIMATE JUSTICE 

Women and girls represent 80% of the victims of climate disasters which is an unjust, disproportionate burden of the impact of the climate crises as they remain socially, politically, and economically underserved. Climate change and gender are intricately linked and addressing gender is essential for effective climate actions. The G20 members are responsible for 75% of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) and current policies and targets are inadequate to limit global warming to 1.5 C. The global cost of climate change damage is estimated to be between $1.7 trillion and $3.1 trillion per year by 20504.  

1. Guarantee a gender-responsive approach in all climate change policies, strategies, tactical plans, actions and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), ensure meaningful representation of all under-represented and underserved women, and secure inclusion of Indigenous women knowledge. 
2. Invest in gender-just climate finance and implement direct funding to women-led climate projects and businesses. Prioritize gender-transformative climate funding directed at adaptation and resilience for women who are dependent on natural resources5. 

 3 UNESCO
4 Newman, R., Noy, I. The global costs of extreme weather that are attributable to climate change. Nat Commun 14, 6103 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-41888-1
5 Indigenous, rural women and others.  

1. Redress loss and damage with a strong gender focus and commit to guarantee an equitable financial recovery pathway ensuring fiscal space for gender-just climate action. 
2. Integrate a gender lens into disaster risk reduction and management by implementing early warning systems. Train more women in disaster response mechanisms and move them into leadership roles for evacuation efforts. Develop Women as First Responders in Climate Action programs that will train women as the frontline workers in disasters and emergencies and enable gender responsive plans and actions. 
3. Ensure equitable representation of women at the table as decision-makers and negotiators at the Conference of the Parties (COP) and all other multilateral meetings for climate change. Every G20 Member needs to have female leaders present at COP. 
4. Mandate gender strategies for energy infrastructure planning and decision-making to guarantee access to renewable energy for all to enable a just energy transition6.5.​ ENDING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS 

A life free of violence is a human right. Approximately 1 in 3 women experiencing physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, according to the World Health Organization. Gender-based violence not only devastates the lives of survivors but also imposes significant economic costs. The global economic impact is estimated to be up to 3.7% of global GDP,7 which includes expenses related to healthcare, legal proceedings, and loss of productivity due to the impaired ability of survivors to work. This substantial economic burden underscores the urgent need for comprehensive strategies to prevent violence and support affected individuals. 

1. Develop, review and enforce policies, legislation regulations and support structures to protect women and girls and prevent impunity and secondary victimization in femicide and gender-based violence in all forms – home, transport, work, in-conflict settings, economic, and technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV). 
2. Invest in evidence-based and gender transformative educational policies and programs starting from early childhood that change harmful gender norms, social norms, and stereotypes such as those perpetuated in entertainment and social media, so that everyone in society respects gender equality issues and prevents all forms of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). 
3. Maintain and increase ongoing and well-coordinated financing and funding for prevention, protection, early intervention, and response services to make a sustained impact on reducing the prevalence and incidence of GBVF. 
4. Ensure the collection, analysis, and dissemination of official national data, following the UN guidelines on femicide and all forms of GBVF considering intersectionality, including race/ethnicity that reflect each country’s context, to measure the impacts of GBVF. 

 Women 20 2024 calls upon G20 leaders to act on previous W20 recommendations that remain critical to achieve gender equality, such as: 

1. Each G20 Member must guarantee that women across the generations, including rural and Indigenous, are represented and have voice in decision-making roles at all levels, including in multilateral meetings, regional economic forums, the WTO, the United Nations, etc. as well as in national forums that shape agendas and set priorities.   

6 This recommendation is subject to national circumstances.
7 World Bank https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/socialsustainability/brief/violence-against-women-and-girls 

2. Guarantee that all research regarding health, clinical trials, medical devices and pharmaceuticals is conducted and analyzed equally, and includes women and girls at all stages of their development. Women’s and girls’ health, by default, influences future generations. 

3. Holistically address disadvantages that women face in the labor market by removing barriers and thereby increasing the employment rate. These include addressing: the gender pay gap, the lack of adequate child care and other care, access to benefits in the formal sector (insurance, pensions) and quality jobs with employment advancement. 

4. Address gender stereotypes and biases, and change norms, attitudes and behaviors that perpetuate gender inequality.