Overview
- Delegates from the 11 BRICS member countries concluded a two-day women’s ministerial meeting in Kochi and adopted the first BRICS Women Ministerial Joint Statement on Thursday.
- The statement sets four priority pillars for cooperation: governance and leadership, financial and digital inclusion, entrepreneurship and skills, and climate, food security and nutrition.
- India’s proposals for a BRICS Digital Repository of Best Practices and Digital Capacity Building Guidelines were welcomed as tools to document programs and support cross‑country training.
- South Africa outlined specific national measures it will push in the grouping, including a Women’s Economic Assembly, a cooperative banking initiative to close a reported US$1.7 trillion financing gap, and a 7% public procurement set‑aside for women, youth and people with disabilities.
- The meeting built on a 2023 women’s track and BRICS’ recent expansion, and it positions knowledge exchange and measurable national follow‑up as the next steps ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi.