The BRICS Women Ministerial Meeting concluded in Kochi on Thursday under India’s BRICS Chairmanship 2026, marking a significant step towards strengthening cooperation among BRICS Member Countries for advancing women-led development.
The landmark outcome of the meeting was the adoption of the first-ever Joint Statement in the BRICS Women Track, reflecting the collective commitment of member countries to enhance cooperation and promote women-led development across social, economic and political spheres.
Addressing the concluding session, Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi said that despite the diverse geographical, socio-economic and cultural backgrounds of BRICS nations, member countries share several common concerns relating to women’s empowerment. She highlighted the importance of platforms such as the BRICS Women Ministerial Track in facilitating dialogue, sharing experiences and building stronger partnerships among member countries to address challenges affecting women.
Delivering the closing remarks, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Anil Malik, said the adoption of the BRICS Joint Women Ministerial Statement was a tangible reflection of the shared resolve of member nations to respond collectively to common challenges.
During India’s BRICS Chairship, two key initiatives proposed by India were welcomed by the participating countries to strengthen long-term collaboration under the Women Track.
The BRICS Digital Repository of Best Practices will provide a common platform for documenting and exchanging successful policies, programmes and innovations related to women’s empowerment across BRICS countries. The BRICS Digital Capacity Building Guidelines aim to encourage institutional cooperation, facilitate knowledge sharing and strengthen capacity-building efforts to accelerate women’s empowerment.
The Ministerial Meeting was also accompanied by thematic panel discussions organised by India, featuring policymakers, experts, practitioners and development partners. The discussions focused on areas including digital inclusion, women’s entrepreneurship, financial empowerment, climate resilience, food security and nutrition.
As part of the programme, Union Ministers, dignitaries and foreign delegates visited an exhibition showcasing India’s women-led development initiatives across sectors. The exhibition highlighted programmes such as rural livelihood initiatives through SARAS and the Lakhpati Didi initiative, women’s participation in sports under ASMITA, promotion of women in STEM, financial inclusion schemes, and flagship initiatives of the Ministry of Women and Child Development including SHE-Box, One Stop Centres and the Women’s Helpline.
The meeting concluded with BRICS Member Countries reaffirming their commitment to deepen institutional partnerships, enhance knowledge exchange and promote women-led development as a key driver of inclusive, resilient and sustainable growth.