Politicians and charities have both raised significant concerns about the government’s plans.
Charities and cross-party MPs have joined forces to call on the government to protect women and girls globally amid massive cuts to international aid.
More than 60 organisations signed a joint statement calling on the UK Government to rethink a “shameful” move which contradicts Labour's manifesto promise to put women and girls at the heart of its foreign policy.
The UK Government announced earlier this year that Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding would be cut from 0.5% of GNI to 0.3% - down from the previous level of 0.7% under the last government, which Labour claimed ahead of the election it would reinstate.
The savings will be used by the Labour government to increase defence spending.
Concerns about the impact on women and girls were raised with Aid Minister Jenny Chapman at a hearing held by the International Development committee earlier this month.
Baroness Chapman admitted that there would be a “huge impact” on women and girls as a result of the aid cuts, adding: “I’m not pretending otherwise. I can’t promise to protect every good programme.”
Now, groups like CARE International UK, Oxfam, WaterAid and Save the Children have joined forces to condemn the knock-on effect of these cuts - which they say will put more than one million women and children at increased risk of violence worldwide
In a statement, the groups said: “The UK is poised to deliver the worst aid budget for women and girls on record. As a coalition of organisations working toward a gender-just world both in the UK and overseas, we are deeply alarmed by the shameful proposal to eradicate standalone aid funding for gender equality.
“Cutting just one of the UK’s programmes that prevents violence against women – allegedly a cross-department priority of the Government – would put more than one million women and children at increased risk of violence worldwide. This contradicts Labour’s manifesto promise to uphold human rights, particularly those of women and girls, within its foreign and development policy. Backtracking on that pledge now would lay bare its moral and strategic failure and cast a dark shadow over the Government’s commitment to dignity and justice for all.
“Without investment that specifically supports women and girls, specialised services for survivors of rape will disappear, girls will miss out on education, and women will continue to be excluded from positions of power and influence. These decisions aren’t simply about numbers on a balance sheet – they are choices that determine whether women and girls live in safety, go to school, or access healthcare. Behind every cut is a person whose life and future are at stake.
“When gender-focused funding disappears, so do the basic rights and protections important to us all. That’s why funding that prioritises gender equality – currently just 12 per cent of all UK aid – must be protected from the cuts.
“At a time when women’s rights are being rolled back globally, we urge the UK Government to reverse course. It otherwise risks sending the message that the rights and lives of women and girls are expendable.”
Previous cuts led to the scaling back or closure of essential humanitarian programmes in countries such as Yemen, South Sudan, and Afghanistan.
Over half of women’s rights organisations surveyed across the Global South, which are leading life-saving work, have already reported facing closure within the next six months as a result of aid cuts.
New polling shows that a significant majority (63 per cent) think the aid budget should be used to protect women’s and girls’ rights, rising to almost 8 in 10 Labour supporters. Yet just 37 per cent of Britons believe the UK Government cares about the rights of women and girls.
Labour MP Sarah Champion, chair of the International Development Committee, wrote for the Independent newspaper urging the UK Government to reconsider their decisions.
Ms Champion warned that thousands of maternity deaths could occur as a result of this funding reduction.
She wrote: “The message is stark and unavoidable: eliminating access to safe pregnancies, maternal healthcare, and vital reproductive health services comes with a devastating human cost.
“For women and girls facing the greatest challenges, those living in conflict zones, with disabilities, displaced, those with diverse genders and sexualities, or survivors of sexual violence, UK-funded services may be the only lifeline they have. Cutting that support is not only a betrayal, but the difference between life and death for so many.
“At a moment when women’s and girls’ rights are under intentional and coordinated attack, the UK must do more – not less. We must invest in the services that give girls and women choices over their own bodies, lives and futures. We must stand firm in our commitments to forge genuine partnerships with governments and local organisations. Through UK aid, we have the power to show the world that freedom, equality and rights are non-negotiable.
“Any further cuts to UK sexual and reproductive health support will not only tarnish the UK’s position on the global stage but also irreparably damage its reputation as a defender of human rights. The world is watching and now is the moment to lead. Let’s not abandon women and girls.”
