Dear representatives of the G20 members and other delegations from invited countries and organizations
I considered it extremely important to be present at the opening of the first meeting in the history of this new G20 Women's Empowerment Working Group, even though the protocol did not foresee my presence at a meeting of technical teams.
First of all, I would like to thank and congratulate India on its presidency and the way in which the transition has been conducted.
I have come to reaffirm that both the G20 and the women's agenda are priorities for the government of the President of the Republic of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and especially for the Ministry of Women. He gave the mission of coordinating the first steps of this WG collectively, respectfully and with total dedication.
Beyond the differences that certainly exist between us, I am sure we have even more interests in common. Our aim is to build consensus and collective results and make these meetings a great team effort.
Here we have a great opportunity to raise the profile of issues that are so important in women's lives, building dialogues, negotiations and joint actions. Always keeping an eye on the priority issues of the current Brazilian government in the presidency of the G20:
- the fight against hunger, poverty and inequality;
- the three dimensions of sustainable development (economic, social and environmental);
- and the reform of global governance.
For Brazil, it is a great source of pride to chair the G20 and to be the first country to lead the work between governments to reduce gender inequality. The agenda of equal rights for men and women is crucial for us.
So much so that at the beginning of 2023, as soon as he took office, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva decided to create, for the first time in the country's history, a body with the status of a Ministry dedicated exclusively to women's issues.
Throughout the year, we achieved great things, such as the enactment of the Law on Equal Pay for Men and Women, a bill presented by the federal government itself, responding to a historic demand from women and approved by the vast majority of Brazilian parliamentarians.
The law cannot be considered a women's issue, but rather a matter for society as a whole, as well as a major economic advance. It is a civilizational milestone in the face of a scenario in which data on gender pay inequality in the world persists, causing the systematic exploitation of women.
Women are the majority in the lowest paid and most precarious jobs and, in 2019, they earned just 51 cents for every dollar men earned, according to an Oxfam report released this week during the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. In Brazil, they are paid 22% less than a man's salary. When we talk about black women, the difference is almost 50% compared to white men.
Still on the subject of economic autonomy, Brazil is working for the first time to draw up a National Care Policy, which should provide care for those who need it, ensure conditions for women to devote less time to care work and better working conditions for professionals in the field. Until now, care work was the responsibility of families in the country, as a private problem to be solved by women, or in one-off actions, without the strategic vision of a plan.
This public policy is urgently needed in view of the heavy burden of unpaid care work, which falls mainly on women. Women's unpaid care work subsidizes the world economy by at least 10.8 trillion dollars a year, according to the same Oxfam report.
These figures go a long way towards explaining why women are poorer on average around the world.
If the gender inequality that exists today persists on the planet, more than 340 million women and girls, which represents 8% of the world's female population, will live in extreme poverty by 2030. One in four of them will suffer from severe or moderate food insecurity. Poverty rates are higher among older women, and they suffer more violence than men. This is according to a report produced by the United Nations in 2023, an x-ray of the situation of women in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In Brazil, poverty and hunger significantly affect women: 40% of them earn up to one minimum wage, and for black women, this figure rises to 49%. Of those earning up to two minimum wages, 84% are black women and 68% are white women.
As part of the fight against violence against women, since 2006 Brazil has had one of the best-known and most comprehensive laws in the world: the Maria da Penha Law. It takes into account the various types of violence against women in the domestic and family sphere, from psychological and property violence to physical violence, and has brought about a paradigm shift in the country's understanding of this issue.
I have argued that we must tackle the root of the problem, which is misogyny - hatred of women and the central point of all other gender discrimination.
In the meantime, we have been working to build spaces to welcome women, access to justice and channels for people to report cases of violence against women.
Taking in today's problems, which have developed in society over the last century, we have immense challenges to face, such as gender-based violence in the online environment and climate impacts on women's lives.
The sustainability of development is gendered. Women and girls suffer most from the impact of climate change. More economically and socially vulnerable, they end up being forced to move with their children, lose their homes and crops and see their territory seriously damaged by environmental disasters, while at the same time being kept away from decision-making spaces in relation to the problem. After all, vulnerabilities to the impacts of climate change increase when economic inequality intersects with inequality of power.
On the other hand, most of them plant trees and work from the perspective of sustainable development and nature conservation. It's a challenge, but we need to include this perspective in the G20 debates. We also note that there is a lack of data on women in this area, as well as country experiences in public policies. Now is the time to move forward quickly in producing content in this area.
I would like to welcome and wish a job well to everyone who will dedicate themselves this year to the search for a fairer and more dignified world for all women, in their various social, territorial and cultural realities, as this group will demonstrate.
For me, as someone who has been fighting for more than 40 years for women's rights to be guaranteed, and currently Brazil's Minister of State for Women, it is a privilege and a thrill to lead this process. I'm sure this will be a particularly special year for all of us.
Let's take advantage of this historic opportunity. Brazil is opening its doors to you.
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