New Delhi, July 5 (IANS) The BRICS Women Working Group Meeting in Kochi is expected to lay a strong foundation for the BRICS Women Ministerial Meeting to be held on July 8-9, reaffirming the shared commitment of BRICS Member Countries towards practical cooperation and women-led development, an official statement said on Sunday.

India will host the BRICS Women Working Group (WWG) Meeting on July 6-7 in Kochi, Kerala, under its BRICS Chairship this year.

“Senior government officials from BRICS Member Countries will come together to deliberate on key issues relating to women’s empowerment across all sectors and women-led development, while advancing cooperation across shared priorities,” the statement said.

The Women Working Group Meeting will provide an opportunity for Member Countries to deliberate and build consensus that advance women-led development.

BRICS comprises 11 countries – Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates, which together account for around 40 per cent of global GDP.

BRICS represents about 49.5 per cent of the global population. Within this, women’s political, social, and economic development shapes outcomes across every sector, making the Women Track a strategically vital track in BRICS 2026.

The Working Group Meeting builds upon the extensive consultations held through three virtual preparatory meetings convened virtually earlier. These engagements have enabled Member Countries to advance discussions ahead of the meetings in Kochi.

Guided by India’s BRICS Chairship theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, reflecting a people-centric and humanity-first approach, the BRICS Women Track has focused on four priority areas — women in governance and leadership; women’s digital and financial inclusion; women’s entrepreneurship and skill development; and women’s role in climate action, food security and nutrition.

Earlier, the government convened the third preparatory meeting of the BRICS Women Track under India’s BRICS Chairship to prepare for the BRICS Women Working Group Meeting and the BRICS Women Ministerial Meeting from July 6 to July 9.

—IANS

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