G20 nations have rare agreement on gender equality and promotion of diversity

The beating of the drums, last Wednesday morning (27), provided by the energetic group Batalá – formed only by women, at the entrance to Serpro, close the Ministries Esplanade, in the central region of Brasília (DF), was the harbinger of what would happen in that space for the next two days. The ancestral sound welcomed approximately 200 delegates who arrived for the 2nd Technical Employment Working Group Meeting, of the G20 Brazil. A meeting that was already historic for hosting rare agreements in the world of multilateral relations, especially in the final days of the month that celebrates Women's Rights.

“The G20 Brazil Employment Working Group was a rare event in the world of multilateral relations in which it was possible to identify convergence on a series of issues presented”, assessed the Minister of Labor and Employment, Luiz Marinho. According to him, all delegations, member countries and guests were able to present their particularities and challenges related to the topic and discussed possible ways to face the challenges.

The theme “Gender Equality and the Promotion of Diversity in the World of Work” was scrutinized, thoroughly analysed from the most varied angles, leading participants to agree on the need for the member countries to lead a journey to reduce inequalities and prejudices in the world of work, be it gender, race, sexual orientation, among others, to reduce the gap in rights that prevents the social inclusion of millions of people around the world.

The topic has been part of the G20 agenda for some time, however, the promotion of diversity received greater emphasis by the Brazilian presidency. “We are committed to ensuring that these issues become an integral part of the group’s regular discussions, it is our country's pride and joy”, explained Luiz Marinho.

The meeting, which brought together around 50 delegations, with representatives from all continents (member countries and guests) including government institutions, the UN system, trade unions and civil society: the Central Única do Trabalhadores (CUT), the International Organization of Labor (ILO), UNESCO, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), World Bank, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), among others.

In the opinion of the head of International Relations Office of the Ministry of Labour and Employment and general coordinator of the Working Group, Maíra Lacerda, the work was extremely productive and enriching. “We were able to present equality and diversity promotion policies in Brazil, including the law on equal pay between men and women, and we talked about the recent 1st salary transparency report”, she assessed. (report here)

Maíra says that the main highlights were the in-depth and constructive discussions about equality and diversity in the world of work, the networking moments that strengthened ties between G20 members and guests, and the exchange of experiences that allowed participants to identify areas for improvement and areas of possible cooperation. “It was interesting to see that even though they are at different stages of application and development, the issue of equality is a concern for all G20 governments and guests”, explained Maíra Lacerda.

According to her, the balance was also positive for the enrollment of members and guests on the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC). “Now we are working to more accurately measure the impact of our initiatives”, said Maíra. According to her, until now, with the encouragement of Brazil, Spain has joined the Coalition. “We hope, however, to bring more countries in”, remarks Maíra.

The G20 is a forum for international economic cooperation that aims to debate topics to strengthen the international economy and global socioeconomic development. It plays an important role in defining and reinforcing global architecture and governance on all major international economic issues.

Next agenda – The next meeting of the G20 Employment Working Group should be held between the 29th and 31st of May, in parallel with the International Labor Conference, in Geneva, Switzerland.

Between the 22nd and 26th of July, the 4th Technical Meeting of the Employment Working Group will be held, which will be followed by the ministerial meeting on the topic, in Fortaleza (CE).

The G20 Leaders Summit will be held between November 18th and 19th, 2024, in Rio de Janeiro (RJ). The group is comprised of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Türkiye, the United Kingdom and the United States, in addition to the African Union and the European Union. Furthermore, countries and international organizations invited by the host also participate in the G20