Empowering Women in the BRICS Framework: Kochi Hosts Working Group Meeting

The city of Kochi, Kerala, has become the focal point for international cooperation on gender equity as it hosts the two-day BRICS Women’s Working Group meeting, commencing on July 6, 2026. This significant gathering brings together representatives from the BRICS nations to deliberate on strategies for advancing women-led development, a core pillar of India’s current developmental agenda. The meeting serves as a platform to discuss the integration of women into the formal economy through enhanced entrepreneurship and skill development initiatives. By focusing on the 'women-led' rather than 'women-centric' approach, the forum aims to position women as primary drivers of economic growth and innovation within the BRICS bloc. A key highlight of the agenda is the role of women in mitigating contemporary global crises. As climate change and food insecurity disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, the working group is exploring how women’s leadership in agriculture, sustainable resource management, and community-based resilience can be leveraged to create more robust global solutions.