At the landmark P20 C held in Cape Town, ActionSA presented a bold and comprehensive submission aimed at accelerating equality, sustainability, and shared growth for women and girls across South Africa.
With the country preparing to assume the G20 Presidency in December, the platform served as a strategic moment to position South Africa as a leader in advancing gender justice across the continent and the Global South.
ActionSA reaffirmed its commitment to ethical governance, economic inclusion, and community-rooted policy. The submission focused on dismantling systemic barriers that continue to limit women’s potential, and offered practical, rights-based solutions to transform everyday realities.
ActionSA’s Women-Centred Policy Priorities:
The submission highlighted the urgent need to address menstrual inequity, noting that millions of women and girls lack access to sanitary products. ActionSA advocates for free sanitary pads in public institutions and the removal of VAT on these essentials, framing menstrual dignity as a non-negotiable right.
- Unlocking Women’s Economic Power
Recognising the financial exclusion faced by women entrepreneurs, ActionSA proposed the establishment of a Women’s Entrepreneurship Fund. The plan includes low-interest loans, mentorship, streamlined registration processes and a mandate for banks to allocate a significant portion of SME funding to women. Urban regeneration efforts would also repurpose hijacked buildings into enterprise hubs.
The submission called for formal recognition of domestic work and unpaid care, with proposals for community-based childcare, fair wages, and VAT exemptions on childcare essentials like nappies and formula – acknowledging the economic contribution of caregiving.
- Strengthening Safety and Justice
To combat gender-based violence and femicide, ActionSA urged the establishment of specialised GBVF courts, harsher sentencing for perpetrators, increased safe house infrastructure and proactive education in schools to challenge harmful gender norms.
- Expanding Access to Education and Technology
Bridging the digital and STEM divide was identified as a key priority. ActionSA’s proposals include free Wi-Fi in underserved areas, bursaries for girls in STEM, improved teacher training and higher academic standards to ensure meaningful learning outcomes.
- Advancing Climate, Health, and Land Justice
The submission also addressed broader systemic issues, advocating for women’s inclusion in green industries, prioritisation of reproductive and mental health services, and land reform measures that support women farmers with title deeds, subsidies, and training.
ActionSA framed the Women’s Development Agenda not as a theoretical exercise, but as a tangible commitment to dignity, opportunity and justice. The submission urged Parliament to ensure that policy outcomes reflect the lived experiences of women and girls and to treat this moment as a mandate for transformative leadership.
ActionSA Frames Women’s Development Agenda at P20 Women’s Parliament
At the landmark P20 C held in Cape Town, ActionSA presented a bold and comprehensive submission aimed at accelerating equality, sustainability, and shared growth for women and girls across South Africa.
With the country preparing to assume the G20 Presidency in December, the platform served as a strategic moment to position South Africa as a leader in advancing gender justice across the continent and the Global South.
ActionSA reaffirmed its commitment to ethical governance, economic inclusion, and community-rooted policy. The submission focused on dismantling systemic barriers that continue to limit women’s potential, and offered practical, rights-based solutions to transform everyday realities.
ActionSA’s Women-Centred Policy Priorities:
The submission highlighted the urgent need to address menstrual inequity, noting that millions of women and girls lack access to sanitary products. ActionSA advocates for free sanitary pads in public institutions and the removal of VAT on these essentials, framing menstrual dignity as a non-negotiable right.
Recognising the financial exclusion faced by women entrepreneurs, ActionSA proposed the establishment of a Women’s Entrepreneurship Fund. The plan includes low-interest loans, mentorship, streamlined registration processes and a mandate for banks to allocate a significant portion of SME funding to women. Urban regeneration efforts would also repurpose hijacked buildings into enterprise hubs.
The submission called for formal recognition of domestic work and unpaid care, with proposals for community-based childcare, fair wages, and VAT exemptions on childcare essentials like nappies and formula – acknowledging the economic contribution of caregiving.
To combat gender-based violence and femicide, ActionSA urged the establishment of specialised GBVF courts, harsher sentencing for perpetrators, increased safe house infrastructure and proactive education in schools to challenge harmful gender norms.
Bridging the digital and STEM divide was identified as a key priority. ActionSA’s proposals include free Wi-Fi in underserved areas, bursaries for girls in STEM, improved teacher training and higher academic standards to ensure meaningful learning outcomes.
The submission also addressed broader systemic issues, advocating for women’s inclusion in green industries, prioritisation of reproductive and mental health services, and land reform measures that support women farmers with title deeds, subsidies, and training.
ActionSA framed the Women’s Development Agenda not as a theoretical exercise, but as a tangible commitment to dignity, opportunity and justice. The submission urged Parliament to ensure that policy outcomes reflect the lived experiences of women and girls and to treat this moment as a mandate for transformative leadership.