BRICS WBA Holds Open Session “Development of Women’s Entrepreneurship in BRICS Countries” at Fourth Eurasian Women’s Forum

On September 20, 2024, the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance held an open session “Development of Women’s Entrepreneurship in the BRICS Countries” in the framework of the Fourth Eurasian Women’s Forum.

The session was attended by the BRICS WBA Chairpersons and Members, as well as the expert and business communities of the BRICS countries.

As part of the discussion, the speakers discussed priority areas of cooperation in the context of the BRICS expansion, the process of integrating new member countries into the work agenda, expanding the Alliance’s representation in countries interested in cooperation with BRICS, the development and implementation of joint projects and initiatives, as well as new opportunities and prospects for cooperation in the context of new countries joining the association.

The event was opened with a welcome remarks by Anna Nesterova, Global Chairperson of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance, emphasizing that the Alliance is an official platform for dialogue among women entrepreneurs from the BRICS countries, the global task of which is to increase the share and role of women in the development of trade and investment cooperation between the BRICS countries.

Marianne Ghali, Managing Director of Qalaa Holdings, Managing Director of Grandview Investment Holdings, Chairperson of the BRICS WBA Egypt Chapter, Egypt, emphasized that the tools and platform that  have been created in the Alliance are constructive and productive for the integration of representatives of new countries into the work.

Sara Yirga, Founder and General Manager of YA Coffee Roasters, Founder and General Manager of Cherish Addis Coffee and Books, and Founder and Board President of Women in Coffee Ethiopia (WiCE), member of BRICS WBA Ethiopia Chapter, Ethiopia, noted that the Common BRICS WBA Digital Platform facilitates new countries to better understand the structure and work processes of the Alliance.

Mina Mehrnoosh, Owner and CEO chief Executive Officer of KASBINO, Iran, emphasized in her speech that networking and establishing contacts, which are important components of trade, contribute to the BRICS countries coming closer together.

Samiksha Naik, Managing Director of Samswek Global Group, the UAE, when asked about effective tools for integrating new countries, noted that the accession of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE and Saudi Arabia marks a transformational period in BRICS. Samiksha Naik emphasized that it is necessary not only to build bridges of cooperation but also to create an inclusive ecosystem. She stated that countries need to be more active on the Common digital platform of the BRICS Women Business Alliance, which was officially launched at the BRICS Women Entrepreneurship Forum in June this year, to ensure the activity of the entrepreneurial community in the BRICS countries.

Farah Al Gharib, Executive Director And Environmental Public Health Consultant  At Precision And Choice in Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia, noted that digital platforms and networking help entrepreneurs explore new markets. In her speech, she highlighted several priority areas for development, including economic diversification and women’s advancement.

Lebogang Zulu, Chairperson of International Relations Portfolio committee of the Black Business Council, Board Chairperson of Africa Women’s Bank, Executive Director of Kampara Group Holdings, Chief Executive of Kokozu International, Chairperson of BRICS WBA South Africa Chapter, South Africa, spoke about the prerequisites for opening the BRICS WBA Country Centers in Lesotho, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and what additional prospects the South Africa Chapter sees in attracting partners from non-BRICS countries to cooperation. She noted that representatives of the Alliance are interested in practical cooperation, in particular in the areas of trade, investment, capacity building and technology partnership.

Monica Monteiro,  Institutional Director of Band Pay TV, Senior Executive Advisor to the Presidency of CNBC in Brazil, Chairperson of BRICS WBA Brazil Chapter, Brazil, presented the work plan and outlined the priorities for the upcoming year of Brazil’s BRICS Presidency. Monica Monteiro emphasized that next year the Brazil Chapter will continue the Russian initiative- the BRICS Women’s Startups Contest. At the end of her speech, the Chairperson of BRICS WBA Brazil Chapte invited everyone to take part in the events of Brazil in 2025.

Yuliana Slashcheva, Chairperson of the Board of Directors at SMF Studio (Soyuzmultfilm), Chairperson of the Board of Directors for the Association of Animation Film Industry and CEO of the Gorky Film Studio, member of BRICS WBA Russia Chapter, Russia, noted the importance of promoting creative industries in the economy and culture of the BRICS countries. She also spoke about the results of cooperation, in particular, this year a cooperation agreement was signed between two large associations in the field of animation cinema of Russia and China, cross animation days were held between Russia and China. Yuliana Slascheva expressed hope that in the future such events will be held in other countries of the association.

Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director of Apollo Hospitals, Chairperson of BRICS WBA Russia Chapter, India, spoke about the best practices of India in the field of healthcare that can be multiplied in the countries of the association, including life and health insurance, enhancing facilities, digital healthcare, knowledge exchange and preventive medicine.

Lyudmila Shcherbakova, President of Velpharm Group, member of BRICS WBA Russia Chapter, Russia, spoke about the projects that are being developed on the healthcare track in the Alliance. In particular, the project to create pharmaceutical clusters, and the “BRICS Healthcare Umbrella” project, aimed at creating a health-preserving environment and multiplying best practices in the field of prevention.

Tatiana Patrusheva, Director for Development and Interaction with Government Authorities Vademecum Media LLC, Russia, presented the MEDEOR BRICS Healthcare project, which will be hosted on the Common BRICS WBA Digital Platform and is aimed at establishing contacts and effective interaction between countries, scientists, and healthcare industry operators. The project will help to unlock the full potential of national healthcare systems and create global cooperation to improve the quality of life of BRICS citizens.

Ji Jinfeng, Chairperson and General Manager of Russia-China Association for the Promotion of Humanities and Technology Cooperation, China, noted the importance of interaction in knowledge-intensive high-tech industries among the BRICS countries.

Elena Chashchina, Co-owner and Managing Partner, EPOTOS Group of Companies, member of BRICS WBA Russia Chapter, Russia, noted that while the level of tourism in the BRICS countries is increasing, safety in transportation continues to raise certain questions. Elena Chashchina noted that in this regard, the project “Accessibility and safety of transport as a condition for tourist exchange between BRICS countries” is being developed within the framework of the BRICS WBA working group on tourism.

Galina Volkova, Founder and Head, Group of Companies Ortomoda, member of BRICS WBA Russia Chapter, Russia, spoke about the role of inclusion in modern entrepreneurship during her speech. Galina Volkova emphasized that the Alliance’s working group on inclusive economy is actively working in this direction.

Gulshat Zagidullina, General Director of TATLIFT LLC, Russia, shared her experience in creating the largest elevator equipment production facility.

Daria Kryachkova, Project Coordinator of the Eurasian Women’s Forum Council Project “Women in Modern Industry”, Vice President for Human Resources Policy, MMC NORILSK NICKEL PJSC, Russia, announced the launch of the Women of Modern Industry Award in the international format of the BRICS.

Tribhuvan Darbari, Chairman of the national part of the SCO Business Council, Chairman of the India-Russia Business Council, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), India, outlined how cooperation and integration of the BRICS and SCO agendas can develop.

At the end of the meeting, Anna Nesterova thanked all the speakers for their participation and expressed hope that all the proposals voiced will be implemented in the near future.