New Delhi [India], July 22 : The Women Empowerment Vertical of the BRICS Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BRICS CCI WE) unveiled a Whitepaper titled "Women in Innovation, Science & Entrepreneurship (WISE): Challenges and Opportunities". The whitepaper presents a strategic roadmap to strengthen female participation in science, technology, innovation, and business ecosystems across member economies.
The whitepaper emerged from the BRICS CCI WE Trailblazers Roundtable 2026.
The whitepaper outlined seven key structural barriers affecting women in emerging economies, including social biases, funding gaps, intellectual property protection issues, low STEM participation, mid-career retention challenges, policy gaps, and uncounted unpaid economic contributions.
"Gender equality in STEM should not be merely a 'rallying cry' confined to a small circle of women," said Ruby Sinha, President, BRICS CCI WE and Programme Lead, WISE.
"It has become increasingly clear that women need global networks that function as communities and economic ecosystems. Women leaders need to work towards creating a more inclusive and equitable entrepreneurial ecosystem enabling more women to take a leadership position in new-age technologies. The future of innovation cannot be inclusive unless women are equally represented in shaping it," Sinha added.
The whitepaper noted that despite rising educational attainment, women-led ventures receive a disproportionately lower share of venture capital funding and encounter hurdles in securing legal protection for intellectual property.
HRH Lebogang Zulu, National Chairperson, BRICS Women's Business Alliance South Africa and Global Advisory Board Member, WISE, emphasised systemic changes.
"We need to shift the conversation from gender equality to female equity," Zulu said.
"The focus must move towards creating systems that address what women actually require to participate fully in entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership. Equity is about enabling outcomes, not just representation," Zulu stated.
To address these gaps, the whitepaper detailed targeted policy measures, including gender-responsive procurement, the creation of a BRICS WISE Fund, blended finance models, digital literacy expansion, structured career re-entry paths, and a Women Entrepreneurs Digital Registry.
It also advocated for caregiving support frameworks, unified intellectual property protection systems, and multi-sectoral cooperation to build sustainable ecosystems.