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G20 Employment Working Group (EWG) makes significant progress in advancing Youth Employment and Gender Equality Goals

Homesherpa-employmentG20 Employment Working Group (EWG) makes...

G20 Employment Working Group (EWG) makes significant progress in advancing Youth Employment and Gender Equality Goals

1 June 2025

The Department of Employment and Labour of South Africa successfully convened the third meeting of the Group of 20 (G20) Employment Working Group (EWG) from 29 to 30 May 2025 at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The meeting marked a significant step forward in advancing key priorities on youth employment, gender equality, and labour market inclusion, with strong collaboration among member states.

Key Outcomes of the Meeting

  1. Renewal of the Antalya Goals and Adoption of the G20 Nelson Mandela Bay Youth Goal
  • Member states expressed broad support for South Africa’s proposal to renew the Antalya Goals,reinforcing commitments to decent work and inclusive growth.
  • The G20 Nelson Mandela Bay Youth Employment Goal was formally adopted, setting a target toreduce the share of youth not in employment, education, or training (NEET) by 5% by 2030.
  1. Progress on the Brisbane-eThekwini Target on Gender Equality
  • The meeting endorsed South Africa’s proposed target to reduce the gender labour forceparticipation gap by 25% by 2030.
  • Discussions continued on a new ambition to reduce the gender wage gap by 15% by 2035, with apotential review after five years to consider increasing this target to 35% by 2035. Negotiations on this proposal remain ongoing.
  1. Preparations for the Ministerial Declaration
  • The South African presidency will consolidate feedback from all member states and present adraft Ministerial Declaration at the next EWG meeting for further deliberation.

Next Steps

  • A technical meeting on measurement methodologies, led by the ILO, took place on 23 June2025 following stakeholder consultations.
  • The fourth EWG meeting is scheduled for 28 to 29 July 2025 at the Fancourt Hotel and CountryEstate in George, South Africa, where further refinements to the proposals will be discussed.

Statement from the South African Presidency

“We are pleased with the constructive and collegial engagement from all G20 EWG member states in advancing these critical labour market priorities. The adoption of the Nelson Mandela Bay Youth Goal and progress on gender equality targets demonstrate our shared commitment to inclusive growth and decent work for all. We look forward to further collaboration as we refine proposals ahead of the Ministerial Meeting.”