BRICS Women’s Working Group Meeting begins in Kochi

Kochi, July 6, 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.Welcoming the delegates, Shri Anil Malik, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, said, “While geography kept us physically apart, our shared commitment to advancing women’s empowerment has kept us closely connected.” 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, Shri Malik said that the Women Track has been guided by four priority areas that reflect 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.Referring to India’s BRICS Chairship, Shri Malik said that the Women Track has been guided by four priority areas that reflect 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.The discussions are being held under India’s BRICS Chairship theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” reflecting a people-centric and humanity-first approach. The Working Group meeting will be followed by the 2-day Ministerial Meeting which will be held in Kochi on 8th and 9th July, 2026.