The commitment has been in place since 2023, but is under consideration at Westminster.
The UK Government is considering scrapping a key pledge to spend 80% of international aid on gender equality projects, it has been reported.
The Guardian reported this week that it has learned of plans by Labour ministers to end a 2023 commitment to ensuring that 80% of the Foreign Office’s bilateral aid programmes had a focus on gender equality by 2030.
While projects must have a gender equality component to fit into the 80% target, it does not need to be their main focus.
In March ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the target despite Sir Keir Starmer’s announcement of a 40% cut to overseas development funding.
But Foreign Secretary David Lammy said in July that he could not “commit to decisions made by the last government”.
The UK Government initially failed to publish an equality impact assessment into its cuts to international aid, with campaigners describing the decision as “unthinkable”.
When the assessment was eventually published, months after cuts were initially announced, it was revealed Education, Gender & Equality programme spending rose by 245% from £142million in 2023/24 to £490m in 2024/25, but would see a 42% decline to £284m in 2025/26.
A Foreign Office spokesperson confirmed to the Guardian that the government was “carefully reviewing the viability of existing commitments” after cutting aid spending to 0.3%.
They added: “As the foreign secretary has said, women and girls are a fundamental priority. From appointing a dedicated special envoy for women and girls to improving energy access for 15 million women worldwide, the UK has demonstrated how integrating gender equality into its international work can transform lives.
“We will continue to champion the rights of women and girls globally and ensure that gender equality is embedded across all the department’s priorities.”
Charities, campaigners and politicians have reacted angrily to the proposal, with Sarah Champion, Labour MP and chair of Westminster’s International Aid Committee, warning this move could feel “like a global war on women”.
She told the Guardian: “The UK’s commitments to women and girls are not just words on a page, they’re a lifeline that gives hope to some of the poorest and most vulnerable on the planet.
“The Trump administration immediately cut all international maternal and reproductive health support, and just last month, burned contraception it had bought for low-income countries. Now is the time for the UK to step up our commitment to gender programming, not step away.
“When we look at conflicts, climate impact and nutrition it is always women and girls who bear the brunt. Our aid programming gives them hope and opportunities in what feels like a global war on women. We can’t take that away from them now.”
Alex Farley, a policy manager at Bond, the UK network for NGOs, also told the newspaper: “At a time when women’s rights globally are under attack and the US has been gutting all gender equality and diversity programming, it’s definitely very worrying to see the UK following suit.
“Gender equality programming has already been put at disproportionate risk in the government’s cuts to UK aid. Upholding the 80% commitment, alongside stand-alone gender programmes, is really important for the UK to send a signal showing that it’s committed to tackling gender inequality rather than stepping back.”
Amelia Whitworth, head of policy, campaigns and youth at Plan International UK, added: “Anti-gender movements are growing, humanitarian and climate crises are intensifying, and girls and women are being hit hardest. In a world where girls’ rights are being rolled back, the UK has to hold the line.
“With USAID slashing over 80% of its programmes – including funding for gender and DEI initiatives – and European donors retreating, the need for the UK to uphold its gender equality commitments has never been greater.”
