Government cuts to international aid spending are undermining hard-won gains for women's rights globally, a cross-party committee of MPs has warned. The International Development Committee said reductions in funding, staffing and expertise are compromising the UK's ability to support women and girls in conflict-affected countries.
The report, titled 'Peace under pressure: Protecting Women, Peace and Security', warns that the government's commitment to the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda 'appears to be waning' despite rising global instability. It notes that funding for women's rights organisations has been slashed by up to two-thirds, leading to fewer girls in school, reduced humanitarian support and diminished access to healthcare.
Committee chair Sarah Champion wrote in The Independent that 'it is getting increasingly hard to square the encouraging rhetoric we have heard with the reality of what is happening on the ground'. She called for ministers to back up their words with 'substantive action and adequate funding'.
The report also highlights a hollowing-out of capacity within the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with staffing cuts and loss of gender expertise undermining delivery. It notes that the UK failed to convene a dedicated UN Security Council session on women, peace and security during its presidency, raising questions about its willingness to lead.
MPs are calling for a clear, ring-fenced budget for WPS programmes and warn that without proper resourcing and accountability, 'tangible progress cannot be made'. They urge ministers to ensure gender equality does not become 'a footnote in UK diplomacy'.
