Two-day BRICS Women’s Working Group meet begins in Kochi

India on Monday began the two-day BRICS Women’s Working Group Meeting in Kochi, with senior officials from BRICS member countries discussing women’s empowerment and women-led development under its BRICS Chairship 2026.

“India commenced the BRICS Women’s Working Group (WWG) Meeting in Kochi, Kerala, under its BRICS Chairship 2026. Senior Government officials from the BRICS Member Countries are participating in the two-day meeting to deliberate on key issues relating to women’s empowerment and women-led development while strengthening cooperation across areas of shared interest,” the Ministry of Women and Child Development said in a statement.

Welcoming the delegates, Secretary in the Ministry of Women and Child Development Anil Malik said that while geography kept the countries physically apart, their shared commitment to advancing women’s empowerment had kept them closely connected. “While geography kept us physically apart, our shared commitment to advancing women’s empowerment has kept us closely connected,” Malik said. He expressed confidence that the meeting would facilitate meaningful discussions, mutual learning and constructive collaboration, further strengthening the collective commitment of BRICS countries towards the empowerment of women.

Referring to India’s BRICS Chairship, Malik said the Women’s Track had been guided by four priority areas reflecting the shared aspirations of BRICS nations and contemporary global challenges.

These include building a more resilient BRICS through women’s governance and leadership; advancing financial and digital inclusion as catalysts for change; promoting women’s entrepreneurship and skill development; and strengthening women’s role in climate action, food security and nutrition, he said.

He noted that these priorities have provided a strong framework for engagement over the past several months and will continue to guide the deliberations during the Kochi meeting. Malik also expressed confidence that the constructive spirit demonstrated by member countries during the preparatory consultations would continue to shape the discussions over the next two days.