BRICS CCI WE Unveils Whitepaper to Advance Gender Equality

By: WE Staff | Thursday, 10 April 2025

• BRICS CCI WE released a whitepaper entitled 'Accelerate Action for a Gender Equal World' 

• The release occurred in New Delhi on April 9 

• The whitepaper is centered on promoting gender equality among BRICS countries 

In a major move towards ensuring gender equality, the BRICS Chamber of Commerce and Industry Women's Empowerment Vertical (BRICS CCI WE) released a whitepaper called 'Accelerate Action for a Gender Equal World' in New Delhi on Wednesday. 

The BRICS Chamber of Commerce and Industry Women's Empowerment Vertical (BRICS CCI WE) has published a strong new whitepaper, "Accelerate Action for a Gender Equal World," providing an in-depth roadmap to accelerate change across industries and bridge the gender gap. Published at the BRICS CCI WE Trailblazers Roundtable in New Delhi, the report synthesizes the views of international women leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and corporate change-makers. 

The whitepaper presents doable suggestions including the establishment of a binding 33% reservation requirement for women on boardrooms, the judiciary, and cultural institutions; establishing special funds for women contesting public office; gathering gender-disaggregated statistics; and rolling out ISO certification for women's organizations. Other proposals are international accelerator programs for women start-ups, more inclusion in emerging technologies like AI, programs to enhance money literacy, state-sponsored maternity support, dispute resolution boards, and mentorship networks. 

Kalpana Sharma, Ex-Additional Secretary to Lok Sabha and Roundtable Chair, highlighted the importance of women taking leadership roles in new technologies and political structures. "We have to bring women forward as both decision-makers and innovators," she told us, adding that political representation is an essential catalyst for systemic transformation. 

Ruby Sinha, President of BRICS CCI WE, highlighted the urgency of the initiative. “With over 2 billion women living in BRICS nations alone, their empowerment is key to achieving global gender equality,” she said. “This isn’t just a report—it’s a call to action. Women need strong partnerships, networks, and access to financial tools to succeed.” 

Some of the prominent contributors to the whitepaper are 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). 

Notably, the whitepaper references World Economic Forum data estimating that complete gender parity is not likely to be reached until 2158—more than five generations hence—unless there is bold, swift action. It also points to the importance of men as allies and inclusive workplace design to create a more just society.