New Delhi, May 1 (IANS) The Ministry of Women and Child Development convened the first preparatory meeting of the BRICS Women’s Working Group, in virtual mode under India’s BRICS Presidency, to encourage women-led development and social transformation, an official statement said on Friday.

“The discussions will contribute towards key outcomes to be culminated in the BRICS Women Working Group Meeting (6–7 July 2026) and the BRICS Women Ministerial Meeting (8–9 July 2026) to be held in Kochi, Kerala,” the statement from Ministry of Women and Child Development said.

“Guided by the theme of India’s BRICS chairship: ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability,’ the meeting had intensive discussions on key themes and common concerns of women globally, such as– 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 statement said.

The meeting reaffirmed India’s commitment to encouraging women-led development, recognising women as key drivers of economic growth, governance, and social transformation, the statement noted.

The preparatory meeting brought together representatives of BRICS member countries, officials from multiple ministries and departments, and knowledge partners including UN Women and Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

Interventions from BRICS member nations congratulated India on its chairship, welcomed and supported the priority areas, imbibing the spirit of cooperation and learning, the statement added.

India holds the BRICS chair in 2026 guided by the theme of ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability’, reflecting a people-centric and humanity-first approach articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 17th BRICS Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 2025.

BRICS 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. The inaugural BRICS Summit was convened in Russia’s Yekaterinburg in 2009.

—IANS

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