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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.
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. (ANI)
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