BRICS Business Forum: Iran, UAE Push Women Entrepreneurs Beyond ‘Symbolic Inclusion’

Despite their geopolitical differences, Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) found common ground at the BRICS Business Forum on Friday, with representatives from both countries backing stronger networks and cross-border opportunities for women-led businesses across the grouping.

The discussion came as BRICS countries grapple with financial uncertainty linked to ongoing conflicts in Russia-Ukraine and West Asia. With 21 countries now part of the grouping, speakers at the forum pointed to women entrepreneurs as a potential source of resilience, while calling for their greater participation in trade, investment and regional and global value chains.

At a panel on ‘Women in Business: Driving Partnerships on BRICS Economies’, participants said the focus should move beyond representation towards making women-led enterprises commercially connected across BRICS. The session featured an all-woman panel speaking to a room full of mostly men.

At the session, it was noted that across BRICS countries, about 80 per cent of MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) are led by women or involve women in a big way. Participants said greater focus on this segment could help build resilience in the region.

From inclusion to integration

Zahra Rahaie, founder and CEO of Navak Chemipaksh, among Iran’s biggest pharma chemical companies, said women-led businesses across BRICS are increasingly active in manufacturing, services, the digital economy, agribusiness and creative industries. However, their participation in cross-border trade and investment remains constrained by limited market access, financing gaps, regulatory barriers and weaker integration into global and regional value chains.

“Women-led businesses across BRICS are increasingly present in sectors such as manufacturing, services, digital economy, agribusiness and creative industries. However, their participation in cross-border trade and investment remains constrained by limited market access, financing gaps, regulatory barriers and weaker integration into global and regional value chains,” said Rahaie.

Rahaie pitched for the bloc to create a B2B matchmaking platform for women entrepreneurs and called for greater integration.

“Not just inclusion, but strategic integration,” she emphasised.

Rahaie, who is also the president of the National Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Iran, later told The Indian Express that women entrepreneurs operating in challenging economies such as Iran that face sanctions have developed capabilities for frugal innovation.

“Women entrepreneurs operating in challenging economies such as Iran that face sanctions have capabilities for frugal innovation. They have mastered all of the resources to drive highly sustainable innovations.”

UAE sees role as a bridge to international markets

Feryal Ahmadi, Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer of Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, a government-owned free-trade zone and commodities marketplace in Dubai, spoke about how women-led businesses could use the UAE as a bridge to enter other international markets.

“The UAE has developed an extremely successful model of their business model provisioning, which helps us all grow together,” she said.

While Iran and the UAE have geopolitical differences, representatives of both countries backed the need to build networks among women entrepreneurs and innovators across the bloc.

Anna Nesterova, Chairperson of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance (Russia) and Development Founder of Palekh Watch, said cultural exchange driven by women entrepreneurs should be viewed as a business tool rather than simply a soft issue.

“It builds trust,” she said, adding, “It’s important to get access to funding, and we need new mechanisms for funding joint projects in BRICS that are oriented towards medium and small enterprises, and women-led enterprises.”

Making BRICS networks commercially meaningful

The BRICS Women’s Business Alliance (WBA) is an official cooperation mechanism established in 2020 to increase women’s economic participation and leadership across member countries. It aims to unleash the business potential of women and integrate women-led enterprises into global value chains.

While all delegations participating in the business forum had women representatives, speakers said the representation of women-led businesses in BRICS should move “from symbolic inclusion to systematic integration”.

Mónica Monteiro, Chairperson of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance in Brazil, said women across BRICS are building businesses, creating jobs and driving innovation across sectors, while their access to markets, finance, technology and cross-border partnerships needs to be strengthened.

“We need to be present when BRICS member states talk about trade and investment and economy,” she said.

As the Chair of BRICS moves from India to China, Zhao Haiying, Chairperson of the WBA’s Chinese chapter, underlined the opportunity to strengthen networks and make them commercially meaningful through BRICS cooperation. She called for a shift from introductions to partnerships, and from connections to measurable economic profits.

“We have the governance, we have organisation, we have network, we have the human right to do business. And this is a great achievement. But now we need to be heard,” Monteiro said.