The BRICS Women’s Business Alliance (WBA) held the Midterm Meeting on May 19, 2025, focusing on updates regarding the organization’s progress and the planning of future activities, including the highly anticipated WBA Annual Meeting and the BRICS Business Forum, which will take place in Rio de Janeiro in July. The agenda announcement was made by Monica Monteiro, the global chair of WBA.
The virtual meeting brought together representatives from the national chapters of the member countries, who presented initiatives and proposals to boost women’s empowerment in various areas crucial for economic and social development. Issues such as women’s health, the underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), the promotion of tourism with a gender perspective, the financial inclusion of women entrepreneurs, the role of women in agriculture, and the encouragement of women’s participation in creative industries were discussed.
One of the highlights of the meeting was the discussion about the BRICS Women’s Startup Contest. SEBRAE, the Brazilian Service for Support to Micro and Small Enterprises, oversees the organization of the Startup Contest. Vanessa Guitta, SEBRAE’s representative reported that 1,009 completed applications were received with significant participation from entrepreneurs in Brazil, South Africa, and India, representing 70% of the total.
The meeting also served to align the Alliance’s next steps. Deadlines were established for national chapters to submit important information for the annual report and register relevant events.
The WBA secretariat informed that details about hotels and logistics for the July events will be made available soon on the organization’s website. Furthermore, more detailed information will be provided on the format and sectors that will be addressed in the Business Forum panels. The participation of national chapter presidents in the BRICS Summit is also being defined.
According to the WBA and the Business Business Council Sherpa Constanza Negri, “this year we introduced a new methodology for the WBA Working Groups, with a layer of public policy recommendations for the BRICS governments to be added to the component of initiatives, projects and events. Our objective is to provide BRICS governments with advice on what sort of public policy can leverage opportunities for the Women’s Businesses Agenda”, she stated.
Preparations for the BRICS Business Forum, scheduled for July 5th, gained prominence. Tatiana Farah, Business Development and Trade Promotion Manager of the Brazilian Confederation of Industry, CNI, presented the plans for Business Meetings, focusing on sectors such as Food and Beverage, Textiles, and Technology, with the support of the ApexBrasil. The activities will be in a hybrid format, combining in-person and online participation, with dedicated spaces for product exhibitions.
The BRICS Business Forum is expected to address key topics relevant to the BRICS countries and their international relations, with the composition of the panels still under definition. The BRICS Women’s Business Alliance advance its initiatives aiming to strengthening the role of women in the economic landscape of the member countries and to promote international collaboration in the pursuit of gender equality.
