Empowering Voices: Gender Dynamics and Women’s Engagement in Russia’s BRICS+ 2024 Presidency
(votes: 8, rating: 5) |
(8 votes) |
Associate Professor, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University
The sixteenth BRICS summit, a key event for Russia’s Presidency, will be held in Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan on October 22-24, 2024. This summit marks a pivotal moment for BRICS as it expands its reach in the Global South by welcoming five new member countries: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), further shaping a multipolar world. A significant aspect of the Russian BRICS+ Presidency is its renewed emphasis on women's empowerment and gender equality as a part of the sustainable development agenda. This aligns with the Summit’s main theme, “Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security”, and its proposed priority areas: policy and security, economy and finance, and humanitarian and cultural cooperation.
The BRICS women's community was given the opportunity to work together with men on various common platforms and engage actively in many women-specific forums to advance the Presidency’s gender agenda. As BRICS+ emerges as a new multilateral platform for cooperation in the Global South—and with many UN women’s rights promotion programmes showing a declining trend—BRICS commitment to gender equality and women’s active engagement holds global significance.
The activism of the BRICS women's community under the Russian Presidency is a testament to the active role that women from the Global South play in the global movement for women's empowerment and gender equality. Amidst the prevailing backlash against gender equality and laws undermining women’s empowerment, BRICS state efforts to recognize threats to women’s rights and reinforce global gender equality measures are noteworthy pathways forward. Russian women appear to be taking into account the current trends of gender backlash and helping to set the stage for a more just, equal, inclusive, and women-friendly gender order upholding the diverse interests of women of the Global South/Global Majority in the age of cancel culture. Since BRICS aims to counterbalance Western global influence and build a more just, democratic, balanced, and peaceful polycentric multipolar order, it is crucial for BRICS women to rethink and reconceptualise existing paradigms, introducing new perspectives to effectively address gender issues and promote sustainable empowerment for all women.
Introduction
The sixteenth BRICS summit, a key event for Russia’s Presidency, will be held in Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan on October 22-24, 2024. This summit marks a pivotal moment for BRICS as it expands its reach in the Global South by welcoming five new member countries: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), further shaping a multipolar world. A significant aspect of the Russian BRICS+ Presidency is its renewed emphasis on women's empowerment and gender equality as a part of the sustainable development agenda. This aligns with the Summit’s main theme, “Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security”, and its proposed priority areas: policy and security, economy and finance, and humanitarian and cultural cooperation.
The BRICS women's community was given the opportunity to work together with men on various common platforms and engage actively in many women-specific forums to advance the Presidency’s gender agenda. As BRICS+ emerges as a new multilateral platform for cooperation in the Global South—and with many UN women’s rights promotion programmes showing a declining trend—BRICS commitment to gender equality and women’s active engagement holds global significance.
Russia’s Commitment to Gender Equality
To BRICS or Not to BRICS: the Group’s Future After Expansion
In the context of building a multipolar world and strengthening cooperation across the Global South and beyond, Russia’s BRICS+ gender agenda recognises the important role women play in addressing global challenges and enhancing global cooperation, trust and gender parity. Russia prioritises empowering women and enhancing their global representation in international decision-making bodies. Russia’s leadership acknowledges that gender equality is still a distant dream as several barriers are yet to be dismantled to close the gender gap to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda.
Unlike other parts of Europe, Russia has a long history of advocating for women’s rights and equality, dating back to the 18th century. Compared to their Western counterparts, liberal and revolutionary Russian feminists benefited from their advocacy in a number of ways. Following the Russian Revolution in 1917, the Soviet Union instituted constitutional guarantees for women’s emancipation and became the first nation in the world to allow women the right to vote. Gender equality was an important focus of state policies during the Soviet era, leaving a legacy that remains unfinished in contemporary Russia. While progress was made, the full realization of gender parity continues to be a challenge that the nation faces today.
Over the past three decades of Russia’s existence as an independent sovereign state, the status of women has shown contradictory characteristics despite their high level of education. Women were harshly affected by the post-Soviet transition after the communist era. Gender gaps exist in many spheres, such as in women’s entrepreneurial activity, wages, labour markets and political representation, especially in the upper echelons of power. These disparities underscore the urgency of addressing gender equality and women’s empowerment as pressing issues in the country.
The discourse on women and gender issues is active in academic and policy circles in Russia. For instance, the academic journal Women in Russian Society, launched in 1996 by Ivanovo State University, offers a consistent platform for scientific discussion of women’s rights, gender issues and equity policies. This reflects Russia’s active efforts to promote gender equality through national policies and the involvement of civil society organizations in advancing these goals.
Russia is currently in the process of implementing the “National Strategy of Action for Women for 2023-2030”, adopted on December 29, 2022. This seven-year plan will be carried out in two phases, 2023-2026 and 2027-2030, to protect women’s rights and interests, promote empowerment, and ensure equal opportunities for self-realization, economic independence, and political participation. Russia’s national policy objectives align closely with the BRICS gender equality agenda, as reflected in various common and women-specific forums, platforms and events during the 2024 Russian Presidency.
Russia reaffirms its commitment to previous UN gender equality instruments and upholds the BRICS commitment to promoting women's rights and inclusion. As part of Russia’s Presidency, the BRICS women's community has organised various events to strengthen unity among women, facilitate interactions, and launch initiatives that promote gender equality. The dynamic engagement of women in BRICS+ presidency events, deliberations, and the assertion of their voices in these events demonstrates a promising direction towards a gender-just order emerging in the changing global context.
Women-Specific Events and Deliberations
All BRICS countries are committed to the cause of women’s empowerment and equality. The BRICS Women’s Business Alliance (WBA) and the Fourth Eurasian Women’s Forum hosted many key meetings and flagship events, featured programmes and consultations, held press conferences, and launched new initiatives under the Russian Presidency. A digital portal, https://bricswomen.com, was created for information regarding BRICS women’s activities.
BRICS Women’s Business Alliance (WBA)
The BRICS Women’s Business Alliance was formed in November 2020, during Russia’s previous presidency as a platform for dialogue to develop business opportunities, implement collaborative projects and create better cultural understanding. The Alliance has national chapters in all BRICS countries and a rotating presidency among its members. The WBA could mobilise a good number of women entrepreneurs from BRICS countries, forming a global business community within a short span of time. The rotating presidency has regularly held the WBA Annual Meeting since 2022. As part of Russia’s BRICS+ Presidency, under the leadership of Valentina Matvienko, Speaker of Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia, and Anna Nesterova, the 2024 BRICS WBA Chairperson, several events were held to promote women’s entrepreneurship development and integrate twenty-five new members.
The 2024 Russian WBA Chair is expected to focus its activities on several areas, including innovative development, agriculture and food security, healthcare, sustainable development and the ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) agenda, tourism, creative industry and inclusive economy, as well as submit the outcome at the October Summit after the WBA working group meeting and its annual session on October 19-20, 2024.
The June 2024 BRICS Women’s Entrepreneurship Forum is the WBA’s flagship event under Russia’s BRICS Presidency. Themed “Creating the Future Together”, the event emphasised the need for cooperation and collective action to address global challenges and create a more just and sustainable world. Over 300 delegates representing thirty countries participated in the event and discussed issues such as digital technologies, sustainable development, industry, food security, agriculture, and an inclusive economy.
The BRICS Digital Platform for Women’s Entrepreneurship was launched to enhance business cooperation, facilitate dialogue, and promote technology and innovation, as well as cultural exchange and networking activities. This platform aims to streamline projects, share successful experiences and best practices of women entrepreneurs, as well as integrate new participants into the global BRICS women’s business community. The BRICS Women’s Startups Contest was convened as a new initiative under the Women’s Entrepreneurship Program. Besides, women actively participated in the BRICS Sports Games, achieving notable success by winning medals and awards.
The chairs of the Alliance's national chapters signed the first international agreement on the “Regulation of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance” at the Forum. It aims to clarify its structure and goals, ensure the effective integration of new member countries, and improve the efficacy of joint projects. The Alliance signed a Memorandum with the Association of Women in Energy of Kyrgyzstan to open a regional WBA office in Bishkek, marking the first such office in the CIS. Such agreements were signed with Belarus, Kazakhstan and Indonesia.
Several agreements have been signed to deepen trade, economic and investment cooperation in BRICS. Some of the agreements include that of Galina Volkova of “Ortomoda” and Zhang Junjin from Nao Technology Co., Ltd., along with Shanghai Xianji Medical Science and Technology Development Co. Additionally, a memorandum of understanding regarding the BRICS Mobility Center project was signed by Natalie Vershinina from GC “Unified Migration Center,” Souphanouvong Sasylathphatsalaphan of S&S Investment Development, and Nguyen Mai Hong from V-exim Solutions. Furthermore, there was a cooperation agreement between Inga Legasova of RemiLing and Nguyen Mai Hong from V-exim Solutions, as well as another agreement between Oryol State University named after I. S. Turgenev and the Vietnamese Institute for Research in Economics, Environment, and Data Science (IREEDS).
Additionally, the “Made in BRICS by Women” exhibition allows women entrepreneurs to showcase their products and services, including textiles, clothes, and handicrafts. During the BRICS+ Fashion Summit, held on October 2-5 under the auspices of Moscow Fashion Week, the WBA Russia chapter organised a session themed “Inclusive Chic: Reflect Everyone and Everyone”. This session featured participation from representatives of 45 countries and focused on discussions surrounding diversity, inclusion, and sustainable development within BRICS+ countries.
A session of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance themed “BRICS: A New Starting Point” was held on June 5 on the margins of XXVII St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, featuring the chairpersons of the national chapters of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance from Brazil, China, South Africa, and Egypt, along with government and business representatives from BRICS countries. The session, presided over by Anna Nesterova, Global Chairperson of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance, discussed the significance of the WBA’s role in supporting women’s businesses, preserving traditions and best practices of the past, and promoting harmonious integration of new participants in the broad BRICS business agenda.
Anna Nesterova participated in events organised by BRICS+ countries, including the UAE, Egypt, China, etc. In the BRICS Women’s Leadership Forum 2024 hosted in Beijing by the WBA China chapter on the theme “Value Diversity and Shared Prosperity” on June 11, 2014, Anna Nesterova, representing Russia, emphasised the critical role of women across various fields and highlighted the importance of comprehensive national policies for women's empowerment. Nestorova noted, “BRICS women share 23 per cent of the total number of entrepreneurs,” aiming to increase this figure further to 50 per cent. The forum discussed the economic challenges, innovation in business and efforts to develop mutual understanding and cultural exchange among members in the context of global transformation.
The Fourth Eurasian Women’s Forum
The Fourth Eurasian Women’s Forum meeting held on September 18-20, 2024, in St. Petersburg remains an important platform reaffirming Russia’s commitment to gender equality. Valentina Matvienko, Speaker of the Federation Council, emphasises the Eurasian Women’s Forum's role as a unifying platform when a fair multipolar world order takes shape.
The Forum reaffirmed its commitment to the fundamental UN documents related to women’s rights and gender equality, including the 1979 Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted in 2015. Interestingly, the years 2024 and 2025 present a significant opportunity to evaluate the progress of women’s rights, empowerment, and gender equality commitments, coinciding with the anniversaries of many forthcoming UN instruments.
As the 30th anniversary of the 1995 Beijing World Conference on the Status of Women and Platform for Action, there is a renewed focus on the promises of women’s empowerment, equality, and inclusion made three decades ago. The 2030 agenda for sustainable development is a work in progress with a firm commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment. However, annual reports reveal significant challenges in closing gender gaps across many Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Summit of Future: Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow, convened on September 22-23, 2024, at the UN Headquarters in New York, echoed the significance of multilateral actions prioritising the participation of women and closing the gender gap in various spheres. The world community also prepares to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the landmark Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda in 2025.
President Vladimir Putin’s personal participation in the event is significant. Putin said, “This forum is devoted to matters of trust and global cooperation. As always, the female eye has captured the most important matters. Humanity is in need of a robust foundation of trust, openness, mutual understanding, and contacts across various fields in order to be able to address challenging social issues, to ensure economic prosperity and technological development, and to overcome poverty, inequality, and diseases”. Acknowledging the Russian women’s contribution to the nation’s development and their growing number in business, he said, “Russian women bring to light the soul of Russia, its beauty, appeal, warmth, graciousness, and magnanimity”.
The leading thematic platforms for discussion in the Forum include “Women Shaping a New Agenda for Peace and Trust”, “Women in the New Economic Reality: Technologies and Innovations”, “Women for a Healthy Society and Social Well-Being”, “Women for a Clean Planet and Food Security” and “Women for the Preservation of Traditions and Cultural Diversity”. These topics reflect the diverse ways women contribute to a more equitable and sustainable future. The Forum discussed various global issues and the role of women in addressing global challenges such as poverty, hunger, public health, global governance, international and regional security, sustainable safety and security systems in Eurasia. It proposed many recommendations for strengthening women’s global roles and representation.
The Forum hosted the Meeting of BRICS Ministers for Women’s Affairs on September 20, 2024, in St. Petersburg, focusing on the sustainable development goal of empowering women and ensuring gender equality. The participants shared their experiences supporting women’s leadership and enhancing their roles in governance. They discussed women’s empowerment in BRICS countries, as well as for developing and strengthening women’s potential at the global, regional, and national levels.
First BRICS Women’s Forum
The founding of the first BRICS Women’s Forum on the sidelines of the Fourth Eurasian Women’s Forum meeting on September 20, 2024, is a new initiative to advance women’s agenda. The Forum programme themes include women’s mission of shaping a new agenda of peace and trust, protecting people’s health, developing the economy and digitalization, preserving the planet, and implementing social transformations. Considering the richness of programme contents, Valentina Matvienko noticed that the BRICS agenda is being represented widely in the forum for the first time. She said, “Our women’s community demonstrates to the world its readiness to engage in dialogue, seek common solutions and approaches, and create a future that is common to the entire world. Hence, we strive to implement all the proposals made at the Forum in concrete actions”. Her empowering voice remains an inspiration for all.
Global Significance of the BRICS Gender Agenda
Russia’s BRICS Presidency: Life on the Eve of the Kazan Summit
Given the global trend of failing to fulfil the promised commitments to women’s agenda, BRICS emerges as an alternative forum that seeks to counterbalance Western dominance while reaffirming its commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment. The UN Women’s Gender Snapshot Report 2024 shows the prevalence of the global gender gap and stark gender disparities, indicating that governments worldwide have failed to invest in fulfilling the goal of eliminating all kinds of discrimination against women and girls and ensuring their education.
While there is diversity among women worldwide, UN programs are initiated predominantly by considering the Western liberal feminist perspectives as a universal recipe for women worldwide. This approach raises questions about the effectiveness of these initiatives, especially in regions where they may not resonate with local contexts or needs. The lack of efficacy in UN programs across different parts of the world casts doubt on their relevance and impact. Although the UN provides a framework for gender equality, it fails to implement instruments to address gender disparities in many spheres.
As the current global geopolitical landscape is undergoing a transformation, and amidst the backdrop of multiple crises, political, economic, social, cultural and environmental, many of these issues are feminist in nature as they disproportionately affect women. Many of the current global issues—such as wars, sanctions, cancel culture, Russophobia, militarization, migration, refugee crises, and environmental injustices—are deeply intertwined with gendered processes that produce distinct gendered outcomes. Consequently, gender in international politics emerges as a critical issue, highlighting the invisibility, marginalization, exclusion, and structural inequality women face in the global arena. The lack of recognition of women’s contributions and their inadequate representation in leadership positions in global decision-making bodies are disadvantageous.
Women in non-Western/Global South settings undergo intersectional experiences that are frequently overlooked by mainstream Western feminists, who often fail to address the unique concerns of Black and Brown women. Asia, Eurasia, Africa, and Latin America are the primary theatres for ongoing wars and armed conflicts. These conflicts not only impact the broader population but are, in many ways, wars on women, as they disproportionately suffer catastrophic and bitter consequences.
Many West-led conflicts, such as the “war on terror” in Afghanistan and Iraq, exemplify the concept of “gendered orientalism”. This phenomenon involves the construction of masculinities and femininities based on race, often portraying non-Western societies in a negative light. It reflects a narrative that seeks to justify military interventions by framing certain countries as threats to Western interests. Additionally, this “weaponization of women’s rights” serves as a tactic to legitimize NATO expansion and military action, where the purported liberation of women is used as a moral justification for interventions.
It is important to recognize that, despite promises of liberation from authoritarian tyranny and improved lives for women in war-torn countries like Afghanistan, the reality has often been the opposite. The aftermath of such conflicts has frequently left women in even more precarious situations. Similarly, the ongoing genocide in Gaza highlights Western hypocrisy and double standards and the complexities of women suffering in conflict zones. The lack of adequate attention and support from the international women's community for Palestinian women's resistance against their aggressors is particularly concerning. These situations underscore the need for alternative platforms like BRICS and a more nuanced understanding of women's experiences in conflict, moving beyond simplistic narratives of liberation to address the real and multifaceted challenges they face.
Conclusion
The activism of the BRICS women's community under the Russian Presidency is a testament to the active role that women from the Global South play in the global movement for women's empowerment and gender equality. Amidst the prevailing backlash against gender equality and laws undermining women’s empowerment, BRICS state efforts to recognize threats to women’s rights and reinforce global gender equality measures are noteworthy pathways forward. Russian women appear to be taking into account the current trends of gender backlash and helping to set the stage for a more just, equal, inclusive, and women-friendly gender order upholding the diverse interests of women of the Global South/Global Majority in the age of cancel culture. Since BRICS aims to counterbalance Western global influence and build a more just, democratic, balanced, and peaceful polycentric multipolar order, it is crucial for BRICS women to rethink and reconceptualise existing paradigms, introducing new perspectives to effectively address gender issues and promote sustainable empowerment for all women.
(votes: 8, rating: 5) |
(8 votes) |
BRICS today is not only in great demand, it is also simply a “fashionable” project. However, this fashion for BRICS creates excessively high expectations with regards to the results of its work. This is precisely what poses the main danger for the group
To BRICS or Not to BRICS: the Group’s Future After ExpansionStriking a balance between quantitative and qualitative development is the key challenge for BRICS in the coming years, which will determine its efficiency and positioning
BRICS Before the Kazan Summit: The Dialectic of Creation and Destruction Against the Backdrop of a New World OrderThe presence of this dialectic, as we see in the example of the development of BRICS, will contribute to the persistence of uncertainty in international politics and the world economy, which will not allow for a clear formulation of strategic objectives, either at the national or international levels
