India, as BRICS President 2026, is hosting the BRICS Women Working Group meeting in Kochi on 6–7 July 2026 to deliberate shared policy priorities under the presidency theme.
Meeting particulars
- Dates & venue: 6–7 July 2026, Kochi, Kerala.
- Presidency: India holds the BRICS Chairship for 2026; meeting is part of the presidency calendar.
- Participants: Senior government officials from all 11 BRICS member states.
- Preparatory consultations: Virtual sessions held on 30 Apr, 22 May and 29 Jun 2026.
Priority areas
- Governance & leadership: women’s participation in political and public-sector leadership.
- Digital & financial inclusion: access to digital infrastructure, digital literacy and financial services.
- Entrepreneurship & skills: promotion of women-led enterprises, vocational training and market access.
- Climate, food security & nutrition: women’s role in climate resilience, agri-nutrition and community adaptation.
BRICS composition & metrics
- Members: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, UAE.
- Aggregate weight: c.40% of global GDP and c.49.5% of world population.
Outcomes & follow-up
- Ministerial linkage: WWG outcomes will feed the BRICS Women Ministerial Meeting on 8–9 July 2026.
- State coordination: Kerala set up a state-level monitoring committee chaired by the Women and Child Development Principal Secretary.
IASPOINT Booster Facts
- BRICS structure: informal grouping without a treaty-based secretariat; activity coordinated via rotating presidencies and sectoral tracks.
- Presidency mechanics: agenda advanced through working groups, ministerial meetings and sherpa-level consultations.
- Exam relevance: multilateral processes on gender, digital inclusion, entrepreneurship, and climate adaptation are recurrent prelims themes.
