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India Leads BRICS Women's Working Group for Women-Led Development

India convened the first BRICS Women's Working Group preparatory meeting virtually under its presidency. The meeting focused on four priority areas including women in governance, financial and digital inclusion, entrepreneurship, and climate action. Representatives from BRICS nations, UN Women, and FICCI participated in the discussions. The outcomes will shape the upcoming BRICS Women Working Group and Ministerial meetings in Kochi, Kerala.

Key Points: India Reaffirms Women-Led Development at BRICS Meet

  • India hosts first BRICS Women's Working Group preparatory meeting
  • Focus on women in governance, digital inclusion, entrepreneurship, climate action
  • Meeting attended by BRICS members, UN Women, FICCI
  • Outcomes to culminate in July meetings in Kochi, Kerala
2 min read

India reaffirms commitment to women-led development at BRICS preparatory meeting

India convenes first BRICS Women's Working Group meeting, focusing on women in governance, digital inclusion, entrepreneurship, and climate action under its presidency.

"Guided by the theme of India's BRICS chairship, 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability,' the meeting had intensive discussions on key themes and common concerns of women globally - Official statement"

New Delhi, May 1

The Ministry of Women and Child Development convened the first Preparatory Meeting of the BRICS Women's Working Group in virtual mode under India's BRICS Presidency.

The meeting, held on April 30 reaffirmed India's commitment to encouraging women-led development, recognising women as key drivers of economic growth, governance, and social transformation, an official statement said on Friday.

The discussions will contribute towards key outcomes to be culminated in the BRICS Women Working Group Meeting (July 6-7) and the BRICS Women Ministerial Meeting (July 8-9) to be held in Kochi, Kerala.

Thursday's meeting was attended by representatives of BRICS member countries and was also attended by various Ministries and Departments of Government of India and knowledge partners including UN Women and Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

"Guided by the theme of India's BRICS chairship, 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability,' the meeting had intensive discussions on key themes and common concerns of women globally, distilled into four priority areas. These include women in governance and leadership; financial and digital inclusion; women's entrepreneurship and skill development; and women's role in climate action, food security, and nutrition," the official statement read.

The meeting reaffirmed India's commitment to encouraging women-led development, recognising women as key drivers of economic growth, governance, and social transformation.

The meeting was inaugurated with opening remarks by Caralyn Khongwar Deshmukh, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Women and Child Development, who welcomed all participating delegates and outlined the objectives of the discussions.

BRICS member nations, in their interventions, congratulated India on its chairship, welcomed and supported the priority areas, imbibing the spirit of cooperation and learning, the statement added.

BRICS brings together eleven major emerging markets and developing countries of the world: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. It serves as a useful platform for consultation and cooperation on contemporary issues having global as well as regional significance, and issues of global political and economic governance.

India which holds the 2026 chairship of BRICS Chairship is guided by the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability", reflecting a people-centric and humanity-first approach articulated by the Prime Minister at the 17th BRICS Summit held in 2025 Summit at Rio de Janeiro.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

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Sarah B
As someone working with women's self-help groups in Maharashtra, I appreciate the emphasis on financial inclusion and skill development. But we need more than meetings—we need tangible implementation and budget allocation. The real work happens in villages, not just virtual summits.
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Priya S
Kochi hosting the ministerial meeting is a nice choice—Kerala has strong indicators for women's empowerment. The four priority areas are well-chosen, especially climate action where women farmers are often the most affected. Let's hope BRICS partners share best practices and not just diplomatic statements.
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Ryan S
I'm glad India is using its BRICS presidency to push women-led development as a global priority. The "resilience, innovation, cooperation, sustainability" theme is spot on. But I wonder how much China and other members will genuinely collaborate given geopolitical tensions. Still, it's a step in the right direction.
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Vikram M
As a father of two daughters, I'm happy to see women in governance and leadership being a priority. But we need to address grassroots issues first—like safety, equal pay, and education. BRICS talks are good, but the real change starts at home and in our communities. 🙏
K
Kavya N
The emphasis on women's entrepreneurship and food security resonates with me as a small business owner in Bangalore. Many women-led startups still face bias in funding. If BRICS can create a platform for cross-border mentorship and funding access, it would be truly transformative. Fingers crossed! 🤞

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