KOCHI — Under India’s BRICS Chairship 2026, the BRICS Women’s Working Group (WWG) Meeting officially commenced today in Kochi, Kerala. The high-level, two-day event brings together senior government officials from BRICS member nations to exchange strategic insights, foster mutual learning, and refine a cooperative framework aimed at accelerating women’s empowerment and women-led development globally.
Four Core Priority Areas for Global Engagement
Welcoming the international delegates, Anil Malik, Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, emphasized that shared developmental goals unite the geographically diverse alliance. He outlined the four core pillars guiding the BRICS Women Track under India’s leadership:
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Governance and Leadership: Building resilience across member nations by expanding women’s participation in institutional leadership and policy-making.
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Financial and Digital Inclusion: Leveraging digital financial infrastructure as a catalyst to bridge economic gaps and drive structural change.
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Entrepreneurship and Skill Development: Scaling up capacity-building initiatives and economic resources to support women-led micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
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Climate Action and Food Security: Strengthening the frontline role of women in executing climate mitigation strategies, ensuring food security, and optimizing nutritional outcomes.
Strategic Theme and Roadmap to the Ministerial Summit
The working group’s deliberations are closely aligned with India’s overarching BRICS 2026 chairship theme: “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” which prioritizes a people-centric, humanity-first approach to multilateral policymaking.
Over the next two days, delegates will work toward building a consensus on specific policy recommendations and collaborative milestones. This technical working group session serves as the immediate foundation for the subsequent BRICS Women’s Ministerial Meeting, scheduled to take place in Kochi on July 8 and 9, 2026, where ministerial delegations will formally adopt the outcomes of these consultations.
