New Delhi, 05 July (H.S.): India, under its BRICS Presidency, will host the BRICS Women's Working Group (WWG) meeting in Kochi, Kerala, on July 6 and 7. Senior government officials from BRICS member countries will deliberate on strengthening cooperation on women's empowerment and finalising key outcome documents during the meeting.

According to the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the overarching theme of India's BRICS Presidency this year is Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability. The theme reflects a people-centric and humanity-first approach. In line with this vision, four key priority areas have been identified for the BRICS Women's Track.

These priority areas include enhancing women's participation in governance and leadership; promoting women's digital and financial inclusion; advancing women entrepreneurship and skill development; strengthening the role of women in climate action, food security and nutrition; and expanding the role of BRICS and women on the global stage.

During the meeting, delegates from member countries will discuss strategies for deeper collaboration across these focus areas and explore measures to further strengthen cooperation. The recommendations and outcome documents prepared during the meeting will serve as the foundation for the BRICS Women's Ministerial Meeting, scheduled to be held on July 8 and 9. The ministerial meeting is expected to reinforce the shared commitment of BRICS nations to women-led development and practical international cooperation.

Notably, the BRICS grouping currently comprises 11 member countries—Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. Collectively, these countries account for nearly 40 per cent of the world's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The Ministry stated that three preparatory virtual meetings were held before the Kochi meeting. The first was conducted on April 30, the second on May 22, and the third on June 29. During these meetings, member countries held extensive discussions on various agenda items and made significant progress towards finalising the agenda and proposed outcomes for the Kochi meeting.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar