India’s BRICS presidency is championing women-led diplomacy

Source: Hindustan Times | Original Published At: 2026-07-17 11:11:26 UTC

Key Points

• India's 2026 BRICS chairship prioritizes women-led development as a cornerstone of global diplomacy under the theme Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.
• BRICS Women Working Group Meeting (July 6-7) and Women Ministerial Meeting (July 8-9) were convened in Kochi, Kerala, India.
• Ministers adopted the first-ever joint statement in the BRICS women track, committing to sustained cooperation on gender equality across social, economic, and political spheres.
• Two India-led initiatives were endorsed: BRICS Digital Repository of Best Practices and BRICS Digital Capacity Building Guidelines for institutional collaboration and knowledge sharing.
• The women track focuses on four priorities: governance and leadership, digital and financial inclusion, entrepreneurship and skill development, and women's contributions to climate action and food security.
• BRICS nations collectively account for nearly half the world's population and around 40% of global GDP.
• India's approach aims to set precedent for other multilateral forums including G20 and United Nations.