The BRICS Women Ministerial Meeting concluded in Kochi on 9 July 2026 under India’s BRICS Chairmanship 2026. The meeting matters because it converted the BRICS women track from a discussion forum into a more structured cooperation platform, with a first-ever joint ministerial statement and two India-led digital initiatives.
What happened
The four-day engagement from 6 to 9 July 2026 included the BRICS Women Working Group Meeting and the BRICS Women Ministerial Meeting. Ministers, Deputy Ministers and senior officials from BRICS member countries discussed gender equality and women’s empowerment across diverse national contexts.
Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smt. Annapurna Devi said the BRICS members, despite different geographical, socio-economic and cultural settings, share common concerns on women’s empowerment. Mr. Anil Malik, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, said the adoption of the BRICS Joint Women Ministerial Statement showed a shared resolve to respond to common challenges.
What changed now
The landmark outcome was the first-ever Joint Statement in the Women Track. This is the most concrete institutional gain from the meeting because it signals that BRICS has begun to create a common policy language on women-led development rather than only exchange views.
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