President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a global inequality emergency at the International Women's Forum Cornerstone Conference, urging women leaders to defend their rights against rising threats. He cited stark data showing the top one percent captured forty-one percent of new global wealth between 2000 and 2024, while the poorest half received just one percent. Ramaphosa linked extreme inequality to declining female representation in decision-making and reduced access to higher education for women.
Ramaphosa labeled gender-based violence and femicide a pandemic comparable to COVID-19, calling it a critical barrier to women's economic participation. He stressed that unpaid care work must be recognized, financial access improved, and leadership pathways expanded to address systemic gaps. Speaking to delegates from over thirty-five nations, he demanded concrete action: "Your voices must not remain within these walls. They must shape institutions, policies, and change."
The president warned that progress on gender equality faces backlash from resurgent traditional norms and economic instability. He tied South Africa's domestic struggles with high femicide rates and women's unemployment to the global context, arguing that inclusive economic policies and climate action require women's leadership. The conference focused on translating dialogue into strategies for fairer economies, ethical technology use, and reformed global governance. Ramaphosa positioned women's advancement as essential to national stability and worldwide recovery.
Ramaphosa labeled gender-based violence and femicide a pandemic comparable to COVID-19, calling it a critical barrier to women's economic participation. He stressed that unpaid care work must be recognized, financial access improved, and leadership pathways expanded to address systemic gaps. Speaking to delegates from over thirty-five nations, he demanded concrete action: "Your voices must not remain within these walls. They must shape institutions, policies, and change."
The president warned that progress on gender equality faces backlash from resurgent traditional norms and economic instability. He tied South Africa's domestic struggles with high femicide rates and women's unemployment to the global context, arguing that inclusive economic policies and climate action require women's leadership. The conference focused on translating dialogue into strategies for fairer economies, ethical technology use, and reformed global governance. Ramaphosa positioned women's advancement as essential to national stability and worldwide recovery.
