Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga is in Saint Petersburg, Russia, where she will lead discussions at the BRICS Women Affairs meeting. The meeting kicked off on Thursday and will conclude on Friday, 20 September. BRICS Member States will be discussing cooperation prospects in the fields of women's leadership and enhancing the role of women in finance, agriculture, innovation, healthcare, creative industries, tourism, environmental safety, and inclusive economy. Having arrived in Russia on Thursday, Chikunga is set to deliver the opening remarks at the BRICS Women's Forum under the theme: 'Women for Strengthening Trust and Global Cooperation' - on Friday. The Minister's schedule at the BRICS Women's Forum will include the BRICS Ministerial Women's Affairs Meeting in the morning and a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Russian Federation, Anton Kotyakov, in the afternoon. 'The BRICS countries are developing r elations on the basis of equality, mutual respect and the principles of openness, pragmatism, and solidarity. Through the BRICS Women's Forum, South Africa will continue to harness on its BRICS membership to persistently address the triple challenges of inequality, poverty, and unemployment, particularly among women, youth, and persons with disabilities,' said the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities. Source: South African Government News Agency