BRICS Gender Forum: Putting Women at the Centre of Development

This statement from the South African Institute of International Affairs advocates for the integration of gender perspectives into the BRICS bloc's development strategies, specifically regarding the Fourth Industrial Revolution, peace and security, and healthcare.

• Women in BRICS countries face significant wage gaps, with Brazilian women earning an estimated 23% less than men and South African women earning 27% less than men.
• There is a wide disparity in gender parity progress among BRICS members according to the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap report; South Africa ranks 19th globally, while Russia (71), Brazil (90), China (100), and India (108) lag significantly behind.
• The Fourth Industrial Revolution poses a disproportionate risk to women in BRICS states, particularly in China, where automation may eliminate millions of assembly jobs largely held by women, although Chinese women have also led in tech entrepreneurship, launching 55% of new internet companies.
• Integrating women into peace and security initiatives increases the longevity of peace; UN data indicates initiatives are 20% more likely to last two years and 35% more likely to last fifteen years when women are involved in negotiation and implementation.
• The success of BRICS vaccine initiatives depends on gender-focused strategies because women are primary caregivers and healthcare decision-makers, and the World Health Organisation has found a direct correlation between maternal education levels and vaccination rates.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2018). BRICS Gender Forum: Putting Women at the Centre of Development. https://saiia.org.za/research/brics-gender-forum-putting-women-at-the-centre-of-development/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. BRICS Gender Forum: Putting Women at the Centre of Development. 2018. https://saiia.org.za/research/brics-gender-forum-putting-women-at-the-centre-of-development/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=BRICS Gender Forum: Putting Women at the Centre of Development |date=26 July 2018 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/brics-gender-forum-putting-women-at-the-centre-of-development/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2018brics, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{BRICS Gender Forum: Putting Women at the Centre of Development}}, publisher = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2018}, month = jul, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/brics-gender-forum-putting-women-at-the-centre-of-development/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }