Russia Hands Over BRICS WBA Chairship to Brazil

On December, 12, the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance held the final meeting in 2024, at which Russia Chapter officially transferred the mandate of Chairship to Brazil Chapter.

At the beginning of the welcome remarks, Anna Nesterova extended heartfelt gratitude to BRICS WBA National Chapters for considerable support, active involvement and invaluable contributions throughout the year of Russian Chairship in BRICS.

Anna Nesterova summed up the key results of work done for 2024. Speaking about the results of the Russian presidency, Anna Nesterova emphasized that one of the main goals in 2024 was the smooth inclusion of new member countries in BRICS WBA work, including Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia. During the Russian Chairship, BRICS WBA National Chapters were officially appointed in Egypt and Ethiopia.

In 2024, the BRICS Business Women Alliance Digital Platform was officially launched and highly facilitated in ensuring seamless integration of the new members into Alliance. Now it hosts over 2,000 entrepreneurs from 30 countries, and serves as a database of more than 1000 projects led by women.

In addition, as part of the integration of new participants into the BRICS WBA multilateral cooperation mechanism, National Chapters agreed on system-forming documents that regulate the activities of the Alliance, work of regional offices and country centers, as well as work with the common digital platform.

The number of working groups was increased to six and an expert ESG dialogue was launched. For the first time, meetings of the working groups were held in person.

This year, the Alliance has held about 30 events. Of particular importance in this context were the first BRICS Women’s Entrepreneurship Forum and the exhibition “Made in BRICS by Women” hosted in Moscow in June, as well as  the BRICS Women’s Startup Contest, which ended in October.

In addition, the Alliance traditionally held the Women Entrepreneurs Forum WeForum in Brazil, the BRICS Women’s Leadership Forum in China, panel sessions at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and the Eurasian Women’s Forum in Russia.

As part of the continuity, regional offices of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance were opened in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Belarus.

The results of the Alliance’s work were presented at an open session within at the XVI BRICS Summit in Kazan this October. The final documents of the Alliance were handed over to the leaders of the BRICS countries, in particular Annual Report, White Paper on Care Economy, and Compendium on the best projects of the BRICS Women’s Startup Contest.

Summing up, Anna Nesterova emphasized that today the Alliance stands for a thousand projects and two thousand women entrepreneurs united by a common interest in working with BRICS.

National Chairpersons of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance thanked Anna Nesterova and Russia Chapter for the work done, and especially noted the high level of organization of the events and work in 2024.

After it, Anna Nesterova officially handed over the BRICS WBA presidency to Monica Monteiro, Chairperson of BRICS WBA Brazil Chapter.

In turn, Monica Monteiro presented the work plan and proposed strategy of the Alliance for 2025, the year of Brazil’s BRICS Chairship.

The theme of BRICS WBA for 2025 was defined “Building Global Bridges: Women Strengthening BRICS Economic Integration”.

The priorities of the Brazilian presidency were designated as the promotion of women’s business, the development of cooperation projects, continued integration of new member-countries into the working agenda and the preparation of recommendations to Heads of State.

The main objectives were designated as holding business meetings, a series of working group meetings, implementing the Brazilian Cotton and BRICS Symphony Women Orchestra projects, holding the second BRICS Women’s Startup Contest, and presenting the Annual Report to the leaders of the countries at the Summit.

In 2025, as side events, BRICS WBA will host the IV women entrepreneurs forum “WeForum” in Belo Horizonte, Innovation and Future Perspectives in Health and Biotech across BRICS Nations in Rio de Janeiro, Agriculture and Future Trends: Insights from BRICS in Brasilia.

In addition, the II BRICS Women’s Entrepreneurship Forum will be held in Yekatering, Russia, FICCI FRAMES will take place in New Delhi, India, the 2025 BRICS+ Agriculture Investment and Trade Summit will be hosted in Durban, South Africa.

All the Chairpersons of the BRICS WBA National Chapters expressed their full support for Brazil’s presidency of BRICS, which will officially begin on January 1, 2025.