PRESS RELEASE
November 28, 2025
“Women Leader. BRICS+” Program Launches at “Senezh”
A grand opening ceremony for the educational event “Women Leader. BRICS+” was held at the “Senezh” Management Workshop of the “Russia – Land of Opportunities” Presidential Platform. The participants include 70 women from 13 BRICS alliance countries and partner states. The program aims to form a BRICS+ community of women leaders, enhance their interaction in international cooperation, and integrate the alliance’s shared values. The program will continue in 2026.
At the level of BRICS member states and partner countries, supporting the women’s leadership agenda is seen as an important resource for strengthening civilizational identity and public diplomacy. The “Women Leader. BRICS+” program is becoming a tool for integrating the traditional values of BRICS countries, exchanging management practices, and forming stable horizontal links between professional communities.
Galina Karelova, Senator of the Russian Federation and Chairperson of the Eurasian Women’s Forum Council, noted the high interest in the program:
“The participants faced a rigorous selection process: the competition was almost 9 applicants per spot. This is the fourth international cohort of the ‘Women Leader’ program and the first one specifically designed for representatives of the women’s community from BRICS countries. This new cooperation format allows us to combine existing experience with new knowledge in joint projects, creating initiatives in demand across the BRICS space.”
Special attention in the program is paid to developing international cooperation and supporting women’s entrepreneurship. Maria Zakharova, Director of the Information and Press Department and Official Spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, spoke about the significance of the emerging BRICS interaction architecture:
“The BRICS Women’s Business Alliance is actively developing – a mechanism to support women’s entrepreneurship created on Russia’s initiative in 2019. <…> Considerable attention within this format is given to the creative economy and tourism. It is noteworthy that significant interest in this format is shown by countries of the Global South and East, including BRICS partner states. Prominent representatives of the Russian business community make substantial contributions to its work.”
The program has united participants from Russia, South Africa, India, China, Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. Among them are: representatives of senior leadership from government bodies, business, the non-profit sector, educational and scientific organizations, culture and the arts, as well as opinion leaders, creative professionals, youth activists, and participants from projects of the “Russia – Land of Opportunities” Presidential Platform.
Sergei Bocharov, First Vice-Rector of the “Senezh” Management Workshop, noted that the “Women Leader. BRICS+” program continues developing “Senezh” international agenda and strengthens the team leadership component.
“For many participants of our projects, “Senezh” has already become a home ground. Over these years, representatives from more than 130 countries have taken part in programs held here. Today we are opening a new international cohort – 13 states united by the idea of cooperation in the BRICS+ format. “Senezh” is becoming an international educational platform because BRICS represents a polycentric world, sustainable alliances, and faith in women’s leadership. Any significant initiative can only be realized together, and we expect your projects to develop within the broad ecosystem of the ‘Russia – Land of Opportunities’ platform and through international modules as early as next year.”
In terms of content, the program focuses on strengthening cooperation and the civilizational identity of BRICS and BRICS+ countries by promoting shared values and implementing the priorities of a polycentric world order. During lectures, master classes, and project sessions, participants discuss mechanisms for integrating the traditional values of BRICS countries, enhancing competencies in international cooperation, exchanging best management and social practices, and developing joint initiatives.
Elena Alexandrova, Head of the Department of Special Programs at the “Senezh” Management Workshop and Coordinator of the “Women Leader. BRICS+” program, emphasized that the project aims to develop the alliance countries’ human capital:
“The ‘Women Leader. BRICS+’ program is our targeted contribution to developing the human capital of the alliance countries. We are creating a space where the experience of managers from different states combines with Russian practices and the shared values of a multipolar world. It is important for us that participants leave with concrete international initiatives, professional support, and an understanding of how to translate the acquired knowledge in their own countries. We want a sustainable community of like-minded women to form around the program and plan to develop it as a long-term project.”
Upon completion of the program, participants will present initiatives aimed at the effective integration of traditional BRICS values, the development of public diplomacy, the implementation of best practices in international cooperation, and the creation of an ecosystem of mutual support and mentorship. It is expected that the developed projects will be implemented in the participating countries of the alliance, enhancing social cohesion, societal resilience to external influence, and trust between states.
Background Information:
The “Russia – Land of Opportunities” Presidential Platform was created on the initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 22, 2018. The platform’s mission is to create Russia’s future by opening equal opportunities for everyone. The platform helps any person, regardless of where they live, what profession they choose, or what family they grew up in, to find opportunities for their development. It is an open platform for communication among talented and caring people of all ages, for exchanging experiences between schoolchildren, students, professionals, entrepreneurs, managers, and volunteers. The Supervisory Board of the “Russia – Land of Opportunities” platform is chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The platform has been operating for 7 years, and during this time it has united over 25 million participants from 89 regions of Russia and 150 countries worldwide. Participation in the platform’s projects, competitions, and Olympiads helps people find like-minded individuals and make useful connections, enter a university or undertake a promising internship, find a dream job, advance their career, and get a personal mentor to help hone skills or develop leadership qualities. Today, the platform features projects and competitions for people of all ages and interests – from schoolchildren to experienced managers, for professionals and skilled trades, for talent pool representatives and those who plan to join it.
As part of the activities of the “Russia – Land of Opportunities” Presidential Platform, the “Senezh” Management Workshop was created. Participants of the platform’s projects and competitions, active youth, as well as managers and civil servants undergo training here. The Workshop serves as a center for consolidating the training of management personnel from three key spheres: state, business, and society. All-Russian educational and youth events are held on its grounds, including the All-Russian Youth Educational Forum “Territory of Meanings.”
Based at leading Russian universities, the Presidential Platform is developing Competence Centers where students undergo diagnostics of supra-professional skills and receive tools for their development. Young specialists who have passed the assessment of universal competencies can confirm their skills on HeadHunter, the largest Russian online recruitment platform.
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