Deputy Minister Letsike to Champion Feminist Financing at Global Madrid Conference

South Africa’s Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Mmapaseka Steve Letsike, will lead the country’s delegation at the Financing for Feminist Futures (F4FF) Conference, taking place from 8–10 October 2025 at La Casa Encendida in Madrid, Spain.

The conference, themed “Resourcing Resistance and Building Feminist Solidarities,” aims to reimagine global strategies for sustainable feminist financing at a time when women’s rights and gender equality face renewed threats worldwide.

A Global Platform for Feminist Economic Justice

Convened by the Walking the Talk Consortium, which includes Hivos, Equipop, Restless Development, ODI Europe, and Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevölkerung (DSW), and co-hosted by La Coordinadora (Spain), the F4FF conference will bring together feminist leaders, policymakers, funders, academics, and activists from across the globe.

The forum builds on key outcomes of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) and the Compromiso de Sevilla, expanding discussions on how to secure long-term, sustainable financing for feminist movements.

Its central goal is to advance gender-responsive budgeting, inclusive fiscal policy, and investment frameworks that strengthen the global care economy, combat gender-based violence (GBV), and address the economic marginalisation of women and LGBTQIA+ communities.

“This conference is about ensuring that feminist movements — which have been underfunded for decades — are no longer left behind in global development and financing systems,” the organisers said in a statement.

South Africa’s Commitment to Feminist Financing

Deputy Minister Letsike said that South Africa is “walking the talk” when it comes to implementing gender-responsive budgeting and inclusive fiscal planning. She emphasised that feminist financing must be understood not as an act of charity, but as a structural transformation of global and domestic financial systems.

“Our approach is through strategies that focus on gender-responsive budgeting, fiscal policies, and investment frameworks to address women's specific needs and promote gender equality, thereby fostering inclusive and equitable economic development,” Letsike said.

She added that South Africa’s policy direction aligns with the country’s National Development Plan (NDP 2030), the African Union’s Agenda 2063, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — all of which place gender equality and women’s empowerment at the centre of sustainable development.

“Feminist financing is not charity but structural reform. Every budget is a moral document that reveals who we value and what future we choose. Our task is to ensure that the global financing architecture reflects the principles of justice, care, and equality,” she stated.

Spotlight on Key Sessions and Contributions

Deputy Minister Letsike will represent South Africa in two key sessions at the Madrid conference:

• The Strategic Session – Track 3: “Strengthening Feminist Funding for Gender Equality: Building on Financing for Development 4 and Exploring New Possibilities.”

• The Closing Plenary: “Resourcing Resistance and Building Feminist Solidarities.”

In these sessions, she will highlight South Africa’s leadership in feminist economic justice, showcasing the country’s progress in aligning public finance systems with gender equity goals and advocating for new models of international cooperation and funding that support women-led and community-based organisations.

Letsike will also share South Africa’s experience in institutionalising gender-responsive budgeting — an approach that ensures national and provincial budgets reflect gender priorities, improve service delivery for women, and fund initiatives that address systemic inequality.

Addressing the Global Backlash on Women’s Rights

The F4FF conference takes place against the backdrop of shrinking global aid, the rising backlash against gender equality, and increasing threats to LGBTQIA+ rights in various parts of the world.

According to global data from UN Women, less than 1% of international aid is directed toward feminist and women-led organisations — a gap the F4FF seeks to address through reforming global aid and investment mechanisms.

Participants will discuss how feminist movements can resist regressive political agendas, secure sustained funding, and mobilise new resources from both public and private sectors to advance social justice and equality.

Building a More Inclusive Global Financial System

Deputy Minister Letsike’s participation underscores South Africa’s broader commitment to reshaping global financing systems so that they centre justice, equality, and care economies rather than profit and extraction.

She will advocate for increased investment in the care economy, including childcare, healthcare, and social protection, which are key drivers of women’s participation in the labour force.

Letsike will also call for the mainstreaming of feminist financing in global development cooperation, urging international financial institutions, donor agencies, and governments to adopt gender-focused funding models that empower local movements and ensure accountability.

“For feminist financing to work, it must be predictable, sustainable, and transformative,” she said. “It must shift power, not just allocate money.”

Aligning Feminist Financing with South Africa’s Development Goals

The Deputy Minister’s message reflects South Africa’s ongoing national efforts to promote inclusive economic growth through gender equity. Her department has been leading initiatives on:

• Gender-responsive budgeting frameworks across government departments;

• Strengthening women’s economic participation in emerging industries;

• Addressing gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) through targeted resource allocation; and

• Ensuring that fiscal policy supports the economic empowerment of women, youth, and persons with disabilities.

By participating in the F4FF, South Africa seeks to share best practices, strengthen multilateral cooperation, and ensure that feminist economic frameworks become an integral part of global development financing.

Shaping Feminist Futures

The Financing for Feminist Futures Conference marks a critical moment in global advocacy for gender justice, coming at a time when global financing trends often exclude grassroots women’s movements.

Letsike’s attendance reaffirms South Africa’s role as a continental and global leader in feminist policymaking, advocating for a financial system that prioritises care, equality, and shared prosperity.

“Resourcing feminist futures means investing in justice — not dependency. It means transforming our global economic systems so that they work for everyone, especially those historically left behind,” she concluded.