BRICS Women's Working Group: India holds 1st meet under 2026 Presidency
Synopsis
India has kicked off its BRICS chairship's gender agenda with the first preparatory meeting of the BRICS Women's Working Group, setting the stage for a landmark ministerial in Kochi this July. The discussions span governance, digital inclusion, entrepreneurship, and climate — signalling India's intent to make women-led development a defining pillar of its 2026 BRICS presidency.
Key Takeaways
The Ministry of Women and Child Development held the first BRICS Women's Working Group preparatory meeting on 1 May 2026 in virtual mode.
Key themes included women in governance , financial and digital inclusion , entrepreneurship , and women's role in climate action and food security .
The BRICS Women Working Group Meeting is scheduled for 6–7 July 2026 in Kochi, Kerala , followed by the BRICS Women Ministerial Meeting on 8–9 July 2026 .
Knowledge partners UN Women and FICCI participated alongside representatives from all BRICS member nations.
India's 2026 BRICS chairship theme is 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability' , articulated by PM Modi at the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, 2025 .
The Ministry of Women and Child Development on 1 May 2026 convened the first preparatory meeting of the BRICS Women's Working Group in virtual mode under India's BRICS Presidency, aimed at advancing women-led development and social transformation. The meeting marks an early milestone in India's broader agenda as BRICS chair for 2026.
Key Themes Discussed
Guided by India's BRICS chairship theme — 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability' — the meeting featured intensive deliberations on issues central to women globally. Core areas of discussion included women in governance and leadership, financial and digital inclusion, women's entrepreneurship and skill development, and women's role in climate action, food security, and nutrition.
The meeting reaffirmed India's commitment to recognising women as key drivers of economic growth, governance, and social transformation, according to the official statement from the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
Who Participated
The preparatory meeting brought together representatives from BRICS member countries, officials from multiple Indian ministries and departments, and knowledge partners including UN Women and the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Interventions from BRICS member nations congratulated India on its chairship and welcomed the priority areas, reflecting a spirit of cooperation and shared learning.
What Comes Next
The discussions from this preparatory meeting are expected to feed into two landmark events scheduled in Kochi, Kerala — the BRICS Women Working Group Meeting on 6–7 July 2026, followed by the BRICS Women Ministerial Meeting on 8–9 July 2026. These gatherings are positioned to produce concrete outcomes on women's empowerment across BRICS economies.
India's BRICS Chairship Context
India assumed the BRICS chair in 2026, with the people-centric theme articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 17th BRICS Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 2025. BRICS itself was formalised at the first meeting of BRICS Foreign Ministers on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York in 2006, with the inaugural BRICS Summit convened in Yekaterinburg, Russia in 2009. This is the first time India is steering the bloc's women-focused agenda as chair, giving it an opportunity to shape multilateral commitments on gender equity.
Point of View
Not a side agenda. Yet the real measure will be whether the Kochi ministerial in July produces binding commitments or merely aspirational language — a distinction that has plagued multilateral gender forums before. With UN Women at the table alongside FICCI, there is an unusual convergence of multilateral and industry voices, which could either sharpen outcomes or dilute them through consensus-seeking. India has a credible domestic narrative on women's financial inclusion to draw from; the challenge is translating that into BRICS-wide policy architecture that survives the bloc's expanding and increasingly diverse membership.
NationPress
1 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the BRICS Women's Working Group meeting held on 1 May 2026?
It is the first preparatory meeting convened by India's Ministry of Women and Child Development under India's 2026 BRICS Presidency, held virtually on 1 May 2026. The meeting discussed themes including women in governance, digital inclusion, entrepreneurship, and climate action, ahead of the full BRICS Women Ministerial Meeting in Kochi in July 2026.
Where and when will the BRICS Women Ministerial Meeting take place?
The BRICS Women Ministerial Meeting is scheduled for 8–9 July 2026 in Kochi, Kerala, preceded by the BRICS Women Working Group Meeting on 6–7 July 2026 at the same location.
What is the theme of India's 2026 BRICS chairship?
India's 2026 BRICS chairship is guided by the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability.' The theme reflects a people-centric approach articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 2025.
Who participated in the BRICS Women's Working Group preparatory meeting?
The meeting included representatives from BRICS member countries, officials from multiple Indian ministries and departments, and knowledge partners such as UN Women and the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
What is the history of BRICS and when was it formalised?
BRICS was formalised at the first meeting of BRICS Foreign Ministers on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in 2006. The inaugural BRICS Summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009.
