Onlykashmir.in News Desk
The BRICS Women Ministerial Meeting concluded in Kochi this week under India’s BRICS Chairmanship for 2026, marking what officials described as a significant milestone in advancing cooperation among member nations on women led development. The four day engagement, held from July 6 to 9, brought together the BRICS Women Working Group Meeting and the ministerial level session, with Ministers, Deputy Ministers and senior officials from BRICS countries deliberating on shared priorities for gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Addressing the concluding session, Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi said that despite diverse geographical, socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, BRICS nations share common concerns relating to women’s empowerment, and underlined the value of platforms such as the BRICS Women Ministerial Track in deepening dialogue among member states. Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Anil Malik, noted that the adoption of the BRICS Joint Women Ministerial Statement reflects the shared resolve of member nations to confront common challenges facing women across the bloc.
The single biggest outcome of this year’s meeting was the adoption of the first ever Joint Statement under the Women Track, a document that captures BRICS nations’ collective commitment to strengthening cooperation for women led development across sectors. The meeting also welcomed two initiatives proposed by India: the BRICS Digital Repository of Best Practices, envisioned as a shared platform to document and exchange successful policies and innovations on women’s empowerment, and the BRICS Digital Capacity Building Guidelines, aimed at promoting institutional collaboration and knowledge exchange among member countries.
As part of the broader engagement, India organised thematic panel discussions covering digital inclusion, women’s entrepreneurship, financial empowerment, climate resilience, food security and nutrition, bringing together policymakers, experts and development practitioners from across the BRICS grouping. Union Ministers, dignitaries and foreign delegations also visited an exhibition showcasing India’s flagship women led development initiatives, including SARAS, Lakhpati Didi, ASMITA, women in STEM programmes, financial inclusion schemes, SHE-Box and the Women’s Helpline, alongside the network of One Stop Centres set up across the country.
The meeting reaffirmed the collective commitment of BRICS member countries to deepen institutional partnerships, exchange knowledge and best practices, and advance women led development as a driver of inclusive, resilient and sustainable growth, positioning gender equity as a central theme of India’s chairmanship agenda for the year.
