The BRICS Women Ministerial Meeting commenced today in Kochi under India’s BRICS Chairship 2026, bringing together ministers and heads of delegation from member countries to strengthen cooperation on women’s empowerment and advance the agenda of women-led development.
The meeting follows the BRICS Women Working Group Meeting held on July 6-7, where senior officials deliberated on priority areas under the BRICS Women Track. The ministerial meeting provided strategic direction for expanding cooperation among BRICS countries and promoting inclusive, resilient and sustainable development.
Addressing the inaugural session, Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi said women’s leadership was central to building resilient economies and societies. She called for deeper collaboration among BRICS member countries under India’s Chairship theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”
A key outcome of the meeting was the adoption of the Joint Statement of the 4th BRICS Women Ministerial Meeting, aimed at strengthening long-term collaboration under the BRICS Women Track.
The member countries also welcomed two initiatives launched under India’s Chairship — the BRICS Women Digital Repository of Best Practices, a shared platform documenting successful practices across BRICS countries, and the BRICS Women Digital Capacity Building Guidelines, which seek to expand institutional partnerships, digital learning and capacity-building within the grouping.
According to the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the initiatives are intended to move BRICS cooperation beyond dialogue by creating practical mechanisms for policy learning, institutional collaboration and scaling up successful interventions for women’s empowerment.
The ministerial programme also included a guided tour of an exhibition showcasing India’s initiatives in women-led development, covering areas such as financial and digital inclusion, entrepreneurship, skilling, leadership and women’s representation.
The second day of the BRICS Women Ministerial Meeting will be held in Kochi on Thursday.
