Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur addressed an event on “Women-Led Development and South-South Cooperation – Success Stories from the IBSA Fund” during the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW-70) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
The event brought together ministers and representatives from several countries and international organisations, including officials from Brazil, South Africa, Gambia, Fiji, Liberia and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Addressing the gathering, Thakur highlighted the role of Global South–led multilateral cooperation in advancing women’s empowerment and sustainable development.
She noted that the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Fund, established in 2004 by the three countries, has supported over 50 development projects across nearly 40 countries, demonstrating the potential of South-South cooperation in addressing development challenges.
The minister said the IBSA Fund places strong emphasis on initiatives that enhance women’s leadership, participation and agency, aligning with India’s broader vision of women-led development.
Highlighting specific projects supported under the IBSA framework, she referred to an initiative in Liberia aimed at strengthening the Women Legislative Caucus. The project focuses on building capacity among women legislators to promote gender-responsive governance, strengthen oversight mechanisms and address gender-discriminatory laws.
The initiative also seeks to raise public awareness on legal reforms and build partnerships among women and men to support inclusive policymaking and democratic institutions.
Thakur also highlighted a proposed floriculture project in Jordan aimed at enhancing women’s economic participation while promoting environmentally sustainable practices. The project proposes the establishment of a reverse osmosis unit to reuse treated wastewater for floriculture production across 60 greenhouses and a five-hectare nursery.
The initiative is expected to support the creation of 50 women-led micro-enterprises and provide training to 150 women in floriculture and business skills.
Emphasising India’s domestic efforts towards women-led development, the minister said the government has introduced several initiatives to enhance women’s participation in education, skills development, digital empowerment and entrepreneurship.
She noted that the Union Budget 2025–26 has allocated around USD 60 billion (₹5.01 lakh crore) towards gender budgeting, reflecting an increase of more than eight per cent from the previous year.
Concluding her remarks, Thakur said the IBSA Fund represents an example of Global South cooperation addressing development priorities collectively, and reaffirmed India’s commitment to strengthening such partnerships to advance women’s empowerment and sustainable development.
On the sidelines of CSW-70, the minister also held a bilateral meeting with Sindisiwe Chikunga, South Africa’s Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities.
The two leaders discussed cooperation under the India-Brazil-South Africa Dialogue Forum, including the IBSA Fund for Poverty and Hunger Alleviation, and exchanged views on collaboration in multilateral platforms such as G20 and BRICS, particularly in areas related to digital public infrastructure and women-focused initiatives.
