The October BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia marked a pivotal moment in the bloc’s evolution, showcasing key innovations, expanded energy trade, and greater global influence.
The summit formally welcomed the new BRICS members: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Notably, Argentina, expected to join, opted out in late 2023 due to a policy shift under President Javier Milei, reflecting a significant geopolitical development in Latin America, while Saudi Arabia is still considering its formal invitation.
A core focus of the 2024 summit was modernising security and economic cooperation, with key discussions ranging from counterterrorism to carbon-unit trading. The summit also addressed critical security challenges including cybersecurity, terrorism, and regional stability.
Historically, the BRICS have been more successful in opposing the Western dominance of global governance structures than articulating a clear, cohesive vision for reform. The increased diversity within the expanded BRICS bloc could complicate efforts to reach unified policy positions, particularly in multilateral forums such as the Group of Twenty (G20).
The BRICS have been more successful in opposing the Western dominance of global governance structures than articulating a clear, cohesive vision for reform.
While the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries Plus (OPEC+) will continue to manage the international oil market, the expanded BRICS energy profile could influence the sector in the long term. The inclusion of the UAE and Iran significantly boosts the BRICS energy profile, and if Saudi Arabia formally accepts BRICS membership, the bloc will represent 42 per cent of the global oil supply.
The presence of major oil exporters alongside key importers China and India—both of whom did not favour Western sanctions on Russia—highlights the bloc’s potential to establish alternative trade mechanisms that bypass the dominance of the U.S. dollar and the financial influence of the Group of Seven (G7).
India reiterated its commitment to a balanced multipolar world and a reformed global order, advocating for resolving conflicts through diplomacy. Discussions with Russia centered on the Ukraine crisis, where Prime Minister Modi emphasized diplomatic solutions and offered assistance for the safe return of Indian nationals.
In the first India-Iran talks since President Masoud Pezeshkian’s election, priorities included regional stability and boosting trade through the Chabahar Port. Modi’s meeting with President Xi Jinping signaled a warming of India-China relations, with both sides agreeing to resume border patrols in Ladakh.
Finally, as a critical player in the BRICS and a leading voice for the Global South, India aims to expand its diplomatic influence, positioning itself as a bridge between Western powers and emerging economies. India advocated for greater cooperation in information and communication technologies and security, emphasising real-time geospatial data sharing for border security and the fight against transnational terrorism.
India reiterated its commitment to a balanced multipolar world and a reformed global order, advocating for resolving conflicts through diplomacy.
Additionally, the summit offered India an opportunity to further its strategic interests while managing the difficulties posed by China. India must carefully navigate this space going forward to avoid the bloc being dominated by Sino-Russian interests, which could strain its relations with the West.
The 2024 BRICS summit represented a significant moment for the bloc, with India playing a pivotal role in shaping its future. By championing innovation in security, economic cooperation, and multilateral diplomacy, India seeks to enhance its standing in an increasingly multipolar world.
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[wptelegram-join-channel link=”https://t.me/s/upsctree” text=”Join @upsctree on Telegram”]2021 WEF Global Gender Gap report, which confirmed its 2016 finding of a decline in worldwide progress towards gender parity.
Over 2.8 billion women are legally restricted from having the same choice of jobs as men. As many as 104 countries still have laws preventing women from working in specific jobs, 59 countries have no laws on sexual harassment in the workplace, and it is astonishing that a handful of countries still allow husbands to legally stop their wives from working.
Globally, women’s participation in the labour force is estimated at 63% (as against 94% of men who participate), but India’s is at a dismal 25% or so currently. Most women are in informal and vulnerable employment—domestic help, agriculture, etc—and are always paid less than men.
Recent reports from Assam suggest that women workers in plantations are paid much less than men and never promoted to supervisory roles. The gender wage gap is about 24% globally, and women have lost far more jobs than men during lockdowns.
The problem of gender disparity is compounded by hurdles put up by governments, society and businesses: unequal access to social security schemes, banking services, education, digital services and so on, even as a glass ceiling has kept leadership roles out of women’s reach.
Yes, many governments and businesses had been working on parity before the pandemic struck. But the global gender gap, defined by differences reflected in the social, political, intellectual, cultural and economic attainments or attitudes of men and women, will not narrow in the near future without all major stakeholders working together on a clear agenda—that of economic growth by inclusion.
The WEF report estimates 135 years to close the gap at our current rate of progress based on four pillars: educational attainment, health, economic participation and political empowerment.
India has slipped from rank 112 to 140 in a single year, confirming how hard women were hit by the pandemic. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two Asian countries that fared worse.
Here are a few things we must do:
One, frame policies for equal-opportunity employment. Use technology and artificial intelligence to eliminate biases of gender, caste, etc, and select candidates at all levels on merit. Numerous surveys indicate that women in general have a better chance of landing jobs if their gender is not known to recruiters.
Two, foster a culture of gender sensitivity. Take a review of current policies and move from gender-neutral to gender-sensitive. Encourage and insist on diversity and inclusion at all levels, and promote more women internally to leadership roles. Demolish silos to let women grab potential opportunities in hitherto male-dominant roles. Work-from-home has taught us how efficiently women can manage flex-timings and productivity.
Three, deploy corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds for the education and skilling of women and girls at the bottom of the pyramid. CSR allocations to toilet building, the PM-Cares fund and firms’ own trusts could be re-channelled for this.
Four, get more women into research and development (R&D) roles. A study of over 4,000 companies found that more women in R&D jobs resulted in radical innovation. It appears women score far higher than men in championing change. If you seek growth from affordable products and services for low-income groups, women often have the best ideas.
Five, break barriers to allow progress. Cultural and structural issues must be fixed. Unconscious biases and discrimination are rampant even in highly-esteemed organizations. Establish fair and transparent human resource policies.
Six, get involved in local communities to engage them. As Michael Porter said, it is not possible for businesses to sustain long-term shareholder value without ensuring the welfare of the communities they exist in. It is in the best interest of enterprises to engage with local communities to understand and work towards lowering cultural and other barriers in society. It will also help connect with potential customers, employees and special interest groups driving the gender-equity agenda and achieve better diversity.