BRICS CCI WE launches whitepaper on 'Accelerate Action for Gender Equal World'

ANI April 9, 2025 198 views

The BRICS Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Women's Empowerment Vertical has released a comprehensive whitepaper addressing global gender inequalities. The document offers bold recommendations, including mandatory women's representation in key sectors and targeted support for women entrepreneurs. With data suggesting gender parity might take over 130 years to achieve, the report urgently calls for transformative action. By highlighting the critical role of women in emerging technologies and leadership, the whitepaper presents a strategic blueprint for creating a more inclusive global ecosystem.

"Women must play a central role in shaping emerging technologies, particularly AI, as innovators and decision-makers." - Kalpana Sharma
New Delhi, April 9: In a decisive step toward advancing gender equality, the BRICS Chamber of Commerce and Industry Women's Empowerment Vertical (BRICS CCI WE) unveiled a whitepaper titled 'Accelerate Action for a Gender Equal World' in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Key Points

1

Proposes 33% women quota across boardrooms and judiciary

2

Global acceleration programs for women entrepreneurs

3

Gender parity could take until 2158 without intervention

4

Calls for systemic change through collaboration and leadership

The comprehensive report outlines a roadmap for transformative change across sectors, aimed at empowering women and addressing systemic gender disparities.

The whitepaper, a product of deliberations at the BRICS CCI WE Trailblazers Roundtable, brings together insights from global women changemakers, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and corporate leaders.

It includes key recommendations such as implementing a mandatory 33 per cent quota for women across boardrooms, judiciary, and cultural sectors; establishing funds for women contesting elections; gender-segregated data collection; and introducing ISO certification for women-led organizations.

Other suggested measures include global acceleration programmes for women entrepreneurs, enhanced representation in emerging technologies like AI, financial literacy initiatives, state-supported maternity benefits, dispute resolution councils, and mentoring networks.

Kalpana Sharma, Former Additional Secretary to Lok Sabha- Parliament of India; Senior Advisor, BRICS CCI; Founder Principal Advisor to FORE Centre for Political Leadership and Governance and Roundtable Chair said, "Women must play a central role in shaping emerging technologies, particularly AI, as innovators and decision-makers. Political representation remains a critical lever for systemic change."

She added, "The deliberations and whitepaper recommendations are a powerful reminder that collaboration, mentorship, and leadership are the key to unlocking a future where women not only participate but also lead."

Ruby Sinha, President, BRICS CCI WE, "Out of the approximately 3.8 billion women population worldwide, over 2 billion reside in the BRICS nations, making their empowerment crucial for global gender equality. Accelerate Action is not just a theme; it is an urgent call for systemic change."

Sinha added, "Women need partnerships, active networks, and financial literacy to succeed in a competitive marketplace. We need transformative solutions to the needs of women entrepreneurs and must amplify women's voices globally so that their challenges are not an afterthought in international discussions."

The whitepaper features contributions from notable women leaders, including Lebogang Zulu, National Chairperson, BRICS Women's Business Alliance South Africa; Elena Shifrina, CEO, BioFoodLab; Dr Valli Arunachalam, Semiconductor Technologist; and Shabana Nasim, Executive Director, BRICS CCI.

Crucially, the report underscores that, at the current pace, full gender parity may not be achieved until the year 2158--over five generations away--according to World Economic Forum estimates.

To counter this, the whitepaper calls for immediate and bold action across cultural, economic, political, and social domains.

It also recognizes the role of men as allies and the necessity of inclusive support structures for working women to enable a more balanced and just society.

Reader Comments

P
Priya K.
This is such an important initiative! The 33% quota recommendation is long overdue. We need more women in decision-making roles across all sectors. 👏
R
Rahul S.
While I support gender equality, I wonder if quotas are the best solution. Wouldn't merit-based selection be more sustainable in the long run? The other recommendations about mentorship and financial literacy seem more impactful.
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Ananya M.
The part about women in AI really resonated with me! As a female tech professional, I've seen firsthand how male-dominated this field is. We need more initiatives like this to change the narrative. #WomenInTech
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Sunil P.
Great to see BRICS nations taking leadership on this issue. With 2 billion women in these countries, progress here could create ripple effects worldwide. The ISO certification idea is particularly innovative!
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Meera V.
2158 for gender parity? That's unacceptable! This whitepaper is exactly the kind of urgent action plan we need. The focus on political representation is crucial - when women lead, everyone benefits.
K
Karthik R.
As a male ally, I appreciate the report acknowledging our role in this movement. Gender equality isn't just a women's issue - it's about creating better societies for all of us. The mentoring network idea is brilliant!

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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Tags:
BRICS Women Empowerment Gender Equality Entrepreneurship Leadership AI Ruby Sinha Kalpana Sharma
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