As Brazil leads the 2025 BRICS presidency, two of the bloc’s most strategic private-sector events are now open for press accreditation: the Annual Plenary of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance (WBA) on July 4, and the BRICS Business Forum on July 5. Both meetings will be held in Rio de Janeiro and are part of the official calendar leading up to the BRICS Heads of State Summit.
WBA Plenary: Women Strengthening the Economic Frontiers of BRICS
On July 4, the WBA Annual Plenary will bring together female business leaders and government representatives from all BRICS countries and newly invited members. The event will be held at the Museum of Art of Rio (MAR) and will mark the conclusion of WBA’s thematic working groups under Brazil’s presidency of the bloc.
The WBA is structured around six thematic groups: health, innovative development, inclusive economy, creative industries, tourism, and food security & environment. In 2025, the alliance is chaired globally by Brazilian business leader Mônica Monteiro, Vice President of New Business at Times Brasil (exclusive licensee of CNBC in Brazil). The plenary will focus on consolidating the WBA’s recommendations to BRICS governments and deepening cooperation among women-led businesses across emerging markets.
Key participants confirmed for the plenary include:
- Anna Nesterova (Russia), Chair of the WBA Russia chapter
- Zhao Haiying (China), WBA China Chair
- Marianne Ghali (Egypt), WBA Egypt Chair
- Lebogang Zulu (South Africa), WBA South Africa Chair
- Azam Karami (Iran), WBA Representative
- Irawati Hermawan (Indonesia), WBA Co-Chair
- Feryal Ahmadi (UAE), WBA UAE Chair
The WBA’s mission is to promote the economic inclusion of women and encourage cooperation among women-led businesses in BRICS countries, with a focus on sustainable development, reducing inequality, and amplifying the leadership role of emerging economies on the global stage.
According to the World Trade Organization, only 15% of internationally active companies are women-led. The Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (WE-FI) notes that just one-third of small and medium-sized enterprises globally are led by women — and 70% of them face significant barriers in accessing credit, support networks, and training. The low participation of women entrepreneurs across BRICS countries reflects broader challenges such as informality, restrictive cultural norms, and credit constraints. In India, for instance, less than 1% of women are formally registered entrepreneurs; in South Africa, only 22% of companies are women-led (BRICS Women’s Development Report 2024).
These trends are mirrored in Brazil, as shown in the study “Women in Foreign Trade – an analysis for Brazil,” published in March 2025 by the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (MDIC). Despite progress — such as the increase in female participation in Brazilian exporting firms (from 29.2% to 31.8%) and importing firms (from 32.5% to 34.7%) — only 14.5% of exporting companies are majority-owned by women, and just 2% of Brazil’s total exports come from women-led businesses.
Like BRICS, the WBA operates under a rotating presidency aligned with the country leading the bloc. In 2025, during Brazil’s presidency of BRICS, the National Confederation of Industry (CNI) holds the executive secretariat of both the BRICS Business Council (BBC) and the WBA, coordinating the agenda, initiatives, and supporting the Brazilian chair.
BRICS Business Forum: High-Level Panels and Strategic Dialogue
Summit in Rio de Janeiro Takes Place Ahead of the BRICS Heads of State Official Forum and Discuss Strategies for Sustainable Development and the Role of the Productive Sector. President Lula da Silva, heads of state, and representatives from member countries have confirmed their attendance
On July 5, the BRICS Business Forum will convene at Pier Mauá with business leaders, government officials, and multilateral institutions from BRICS and guest nations. The forum, organized by the Brazilian National Confederation of Industry (CNI), will cover top-priority themes for sustainable economic development, such as:
- Trade and food security
- Energy transition and decarbonization
- Skills development and digital transformation
- Inclusive finance and financial innovation
The Forum is held under the coordination of the BRICS Business Council (BBC), chaired in 2025 by Francisco Gomes Neto, CEO of Embraer.
The event’s opening session will feature:
- Ricardo Alban, President of CNI
- Francisco Gomes Neto, Chair of the BRICS Business Council and CEO of Embraer
- Mônica Monteiro, Chair of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance
- Aloizio Mercadante, President of BNDES (Brazilian National Bank for Development)
- Eduardo Paes, Mayor of Rio de Janeiro
Four thematic panels featuring industrial sector giants from the BRICS countries will address issues such as strengthening trade and food security within BRICS, energy transition and decarbonization, green and digital transitions, and financing strategies for the BRICS development agenda. Notable participants include: Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, President of COP30; Aguinaldo Barbieri, Regional Director for Brazil at the New Development Bank (NDB); John W.H. Denton, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce; HE Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, United Arab Emirates Minister of State for Foreign Trade; HE Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group CEO & Chairman of DP World; Lebogang Zulu, Chairperson of the Africa Women’s Bank; Zhao Haiying, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at China Investment Corporation (CIC); and Busi Mabuza, Chairperson of the Industrial Development Corporation. All BRICS heads of state have been invited to join the Presidential Panel, which will wrap up the forum and will be led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Awards: BRICS Solutions Awards and BRICS Women’s Startup Contest
The Forum will also serve as the stage for the announcement of the winners of the BRICS Solutions Awards and the BRICS Women’s Startup Contest.
With a total of 500 entries from countries including Russia, Brazil, China, India, and South Africa, the BRICS Solutions Awards will honor 18 creative and sustainable solutions in six categories, including bioeconomy, innovative financing, food security, and digital transformation.
The BRICS Women’s Startup Contest, a joint initiative of SEBRAE and the WBA, received 1,032 applications, with Brazil, South Africa, and India standing out. The 18 finalists will be present at the event, sharing their innovative ideas in six categories related to health and well-being, energy, and infrastructure.
BRICS in Context
According to Brazilian government data, the BRICS countries represent:
- 48.5% of the world population
- 36% of the planet’s landmass
- 39% of global GDP (PPP, current prices)
- 21.6% of global trade
Brazil’s trade with BRICS reached USD 210 billion in 2024, representing 35% of its total trade flow.
EVENT DETAILS
WBA BRICS Annual Plenary
Date: July 4, 2025
Time: 2 PM
Location: Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR) – Praça Mauá, 5, Centro, Rio de Janeiro – RJ
BRICS Business Forum
Date: July 5, 2025
Time: 9 AM
Location: Pier Mauá – Warehouse 05 – Av. Rodrigues Alves, Gamboa, Rio de Janeiro – RJ
About the Forum
The BRICS Business Forum is a platform for advancing cooperation in the face of global challenges, bringing together member countries to promote an agenda based on innovation, sustainability, and economic inclusion. For more information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GINXUDv-H0o
The event is sponsored by XCMG, DP World, Keeta, WEG, Embraer, Vale, Febraban, Mebo International, Marfrig/BRF, the Brazilian National Service for Industrial Training (SENAI), the Social Service of Industry (SESI), and the Euvaldo Lodi Institute (IEL). It also received institutional support from the National Council of SESI, the Organization of Brazilian Cooperatives (OCB), Natura, SEBRAE, ApexBrasil, and the Federation of Industries of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Firjan).
PRESS ACCREDITATION
Journalists interested in covering either event must register via email at: imprensa@cni.com.br for the WBA Plenary. For the BRICS Business Forum press accreditation, hit the link: https://assets-sam.mkt.dynamics.com/571e75e0-1124-4795-aa34-91e4e6216e7b/digitalassets/standaloneforms/2bbe6b74-2730-f011-8c4e-00224837c3c4
