Press Release: Oxfam South Africa calls for gender justice and inclusive policies in the clean energy transition.
Attention: Editors
Date: 5 August 2025
Oxfam South Africa calls for gender justice and inclusive policies in the clean energy transition.
As South Africa leads the G20 for the first time, Oxfam South Africa is calling on governments, investors, and development partners to place gender equality and social inclusion at the centre of the just energy transition.
In partnership with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), Oxfam South Africa is co-hosting a high-level side event on Wednesday, 6 August in Johannesburg, as part of the official T20 (Think20) Engagement Group of the G20. The event will bring together policy experts, government officials, grassroots organisers and development leaders to spotlight how energy reforms can better serve women, marginalised communities, and informal workers.
The session, titled “Gender Equality and Social Inclusion in the Clean Energy Transition”, features voices from across the continent, including representatives from the African Development Bank, national and provincial government, civil society, and frontline community partners working in mining towns and farming regions.
Nkateko Chauke, Acting Executive Director at Oxfam South Africa, will open the event with a strong call to action:
The energy crisis is not gender-neutral. Women and poor households are already bearing the brunt of energy poverty, while being left out of decisions that shape their future. We are calling for a feminist just transition, one that includes women not only as beneficiaries but as leaders, entrepreneurs and decision-makers. South Africa’s G20 leadership must champion this agenda both locally and globally.
The event will also showcase stories of community-led solutions, including Oxfam’s Stories for Change programme and new research on inclusive policy design. With more than 200 participants expected in-person and online, the event marks a key moment in the build-up to the G20 Leaders’ Summit and COP30.
Oxfam’s core G20 demands include fair taxation of the super-rich, meaningful debt relief for African countries, and a shift away from extractive energy systems towards equitable, community-centred alternatives that truly embody a feminist, equitable and socially inclusive just transition. #TheFutureIsEqual
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Media Enquiries:
Bongani Maseko
📧 ozacommunication@oxfam.org.za
📞 +27 61 545 9425
Click here to download the statement.
