Monica Monteiro, Сhairperson of BRICS WBA Brazilian Chapter: revolution of our time is increasing number of women in entrepreneurship

Monica Monteiro is the chairperson of the BRICS WBA Brazilian Chapter and CEO of Pay TV Bandeirantes Group. She graduated from the Faculty of Education of the Pontifical Catholic University of Sao Paulo. Since 2021, she has been a member of the G100, a group of women leaders in media arts and communication, which includes only 100 women from all over the world. Monteiro has been working in the field of audiovisual media for more than 25 years. Since 2022, she has been the chairperson of the National Council of Brazil's Women Entrepreneurs.

You headed the Brazilian chapter of the BRICS Women's Business Alliance some time ago. How important is the business cooperation of states today for the development of women's entrepreneurship?

This is the second time I have been here in Moscow. This is an amazing city. I am very glad that Russia is heading BRICS this year. We have already had several meetings with Russian delegations in Brazil, and now we have come here. There are already 10 states represented in the BRICS group, and, of course, it is very important to establish contacts for women entrepreneurs. I would like us to be responsible not only for cultural issues but also to get to know each other and learn to understand each other. Our task is to help conclude business deals and increase capital.

How can this interaction be improved? What experiences of Brazil, and yours personally, could be useful?

Women have many obstacles in business. As an example, consider the bureaucracy associated with exports. We try to solve such problems, as they prevent our countries from cooperating. At meetings, we exchange ideas for selling products and services.

In practice, women often face a variety of difficulties. We try to inform them about the available opportunities. We want to work in favourable conditions with good financing. The New Development Bank of BRICS has the potential to improve our business prospects.

With the expansion of the BRICS, opportunities for bilateral cooperation have increased. In what areas can our partnership develop?

Firstly, agriculture, to which we pay a lot of attention in Brazil. Secondly, the entertainment industry, for example, television. In general, everything related to creativity, from crafts to cinema,.

We are presenting exactly that kind of project here. It covers many sectors, from agriculture to the fashion industry. And these processes can contribute to international and bilateral cooperation. Here is an example: first, women plant, grow, and harvest cotton; then, using this raw material, they create fabrics. And then they use those fabrics to make costumes for fashion shows.

We succeeded in building the whole chain: agriculture, industry, and trade. This project is an example of how the BRICS countries can successfully work together.

We have great opportunities to trade in different products and services. In Brazil, we have signed many contracts to sell honey and nuts. There are other products that we can trade. These include raw materials and finished products such as clothes and shoes.

Shoes made in Brazil sell well in Russia. I believe that we have every chance to further develop trade between companies run by women. This is exactly the kind of thing we are doing in our alliance.

What contribution has Brazil made to BRICS? What are you most proud of?

I am very proud that the number of our participants is growing. We started out as a small group. Today, here in Russia, we have a representative delegation, which includes more than 100 people from the BRICS countries. This shows how many women want to build business relationships.

When one woman earns well, she hires another. We are interested in involving as many participants as possible in our community. This will help to increase production.

Brazil can contribute much more. Our country will chair BRICS next year, and we are already preparing to build business relations. In March, at a meeting in Brazil, we managed to sign contracts worth several million dollars. Unfortunately, it is impossible to sign a contract in one meeting, so we are trying to hold more such summits. We already have six meetings in Brazil planned for next year. Possible deals concern the fashion industry and other sectors.

I am proud that more and more women are exporting their products and generally holding senior positions. So your channel is run by a woman. A kind of revolution is taking place. It is just beginning, but the results are already noticeable.

All the presidents of the BRICS countries support our endeavour to increase exports. We can sell more of our products and promote not only cultural exchange but also increased profits. The Women's Business Alliance plays an important role in these processes.

If we talk about the BRICS countries' bilateral cooperation in the field of media, TV BRICS and the Bandeirantes Group are examples. We are no longer just partners, but also good friends. In my opinion, this is an example of successful joint work: we exchange content and fill the airwaves. How important is such a partnership?

I was lucky to work for a media group owned by a broad-minded person. It was he who contributed to the integration of all the BRICS countries. We work closely with TV BRICS, and also with China. It's much easier to build a relationship with someone you know well. We show our viewers what business opportunities there are in your country. Working with China and India is also important for us.

I also love South Africa very much, and we have a good business relationship. Now Ethiopia, Egypt, and other countries have joined us. It is important to show not only the culture and politics of these regions but also the possibilities of their economies.

It is necessary to exchange information. The Bandeirantes media group carefully selects the content. We are also always ready to share our points of view with our partners. It is important for us to show countries from the inside, as an ordinary resident sees them, and not a foreigner. Then we will be able to understand each other better and build reliable business relationships. I believe we could do a lot more.

It seems to me that Brazil can be even more active; our country has all the possibilities for this. At the summits, I see the desire of women entrepreneurs to sell and buy.

We have a long way to go to develop and manufacture new products and then find ways to export. It is necessary to increase the number of female workers in factories and in leadership positions. They must not only buy but also invent and make decisions. I would like to emphasise once again that the revolution of our time is an increase in the number of women in the market, both from the consumer side and from the business side. Anyone who is going to run a successful business should keep this in mind.

Last year, at their meeting in South Africa, the presidents of all BRICS countries prioritised the advancement of women. We still have a long way to go. This is the first step in the right direction. We need to build partnerships with men who recognise the importance of producing goods for women.

Our interview will also be shown in other BRICS countries. What can you say about Russia and Moscow?

This is my second time in Moscow. I'm just in love with Russia. I think Russians and Brazilians are very similar in their hospitality and transparency. I am very glad to be here today with such a large delegation. We came together with the heads of influential Brazilian organisations that represent the interests of many women.

I expect that we will have more affiliate programs. We hope that other members of our movement will come here in October. And they will be able to evaluate the Russian market.

I think that your country could also take steps towards rapprochement with Brazil. For example, you could teach Russian to Brazilians, and we would teach Portuguese to Russians. We introduce our viewers to the culture of your country; for example, we cover film festivals. We want to get to know Russia even better because we only do business with those we know well.

Our task as a media resource is to bring people together. TV BRICS is an important project that connects us all. But we can do a lot more. I was glad to see how the new members of the delegation were delighted with Russia and its warm welcome. That is why we are alike.

Photo: screenshot of the TV BRICS interview