UK aid cuts: More than 90 activists and advocates call on UK Government to protect women and girls
Following newly announced aid cuts, the UK Government is at risk of backtracking on its promise to put women and girls at the heart of its foreign policy, a group of activists, advocates and celebrities warn:
Dear Foreign Secretary,
This International Women’s Day reasons to celebrate are vastly outweighed by alarming injustices worldwide. Hard-won gains on gender equality are being rolled back. Women and girls, disproportionately impacted by conflict, climate change, and poverty, do not hold the equal power and rights they should, and are paying the price for decisions made primarily by men.
Yet funding to support them is dwindling.
We urge you to target at least 20% of UK aid directly on achieving gender equality. To ensure this aid delivers maximum impact for whole societies it must be accessible to women-led and women’s rights organisations.
This is more urgent than ever. The UK has a proud legacy of championing the rights of women and girls, yet funding is at its joint lowest on record - almost half what it was in 2019. While funding for women’s rights organisations rightly received a surge of investment in 2022, it has still dropped 26% since its peak and now represents just 0.3% of bilateral aid.
Your promise of a feminist approach to the UK’s foreign and development policy, and commitment to forging genuine partnerships with the global majority, offers an opportunity to reverse this trend.
Women are already leading efforts to tackle today’s greatest challenges - from humanitarian crises to grassroots movements and international negotiations. Yet their vital work is held back by attacks on their rights and a lack of investment in their leadership. Supporting women leaders is not just morally right - it is a smart economic and strategic move, in Britain’s interests. Closing gender gaps in employment could unlock $160 trillion of global wealth. Peace processes led by women are 35% more likely to last.
But at the current pace, achieving equality will take centuries - 286 years to close legal gaps, 140 years for equal leadership, and 40 years for gender parity in parliaments. When women are held back, so is progress on the most urgent challenges facing us.
We cannot wait generations for equality, prosperity, or peace. We ask you to deliver on your promises with deeds, not words.
Sincerely,
Abeba Hailesilassie, Executive Director, Women’s Association of Tigray
Adenike Oladosu, Climate campaigner, Lake Chad
Alex Kent, Co-CEO, Restless Development
Aminata Touré, Prime Minister of Senegal (2013-2014) and Member of Club de Madrid
Angela Salt, CEO, Girlguiding
Annie Lennox, Singer, Songwriter, Activist and Founder of The Circle NGO
Bakare Opeyemi Nafisat, Executive Director, Webfala Digital Skills for All Initiative
Ban Ki-moon, Eighth Secretary General of the United Nations and Honorary Member of Club de Madrid
Bella Lack, Author and environmentalist
Beverley Knight, Singer
Bianca Jagger, Founder and President, The Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation (BJHRF)
Chandrika Kumaratunga, President of Sri Lanka (1994-2005) and Member of Club de Madrid
Cherie Blair CBE KC, Founder, The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women
Dr Christine Allen, Executive Director, CAFOD
Claire Reindorp, CEO, Young Women's Trust
Baroness Coussins, Independent Crossbench Peer
Daria Khrystenko, Education in Emergencies Manager, CARE International in Poland
David Arnold, Composer
Diana Njuguna, Co-CEO, Womankind Worldwide
Disha Sughand, Co-CEO, Womankind Worldwide
Doris Leuthard, President of Switzerland (2010; 2017) and Member of Club de Madrid
Ekhosuehi Iyahen
Dame Emma Thompson
Esther Bizuri, President of the Board of Directors, MKAAJI MPYA asbl
Eva Tabassam, Director, Gender Action for Peace and Security (GAPS)
Dr. Faith Mwangi-Powell, Chief Executive Officer, Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage
Gary Lineker
Gervais Muderhwa, Acting Coordinator, MKAAJI MPYA asbl
Grace Dorong, Founder, Root of Generations
Dr Halima Begum, Chief Executive, Oxfam GB
Professor Heejung Chung, Director, King’s Global Institute for Women’s Leadership
Baroness Helena Kennedy LT KC, Director, The International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI)
Helen McEachern, CEO, CARE International UK
Helen Pankhurst, Convener, Centenary Action
Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Coordinator of the Association of Peul Women and Autochthonous Peoples of Chad (AFPAT)
Baroness Hussein-Ece OBE, Co-Chair, APPG for Global Sexual & Reproductive Health & Rights
Ivo Josipovic, President of Croatia (2010-2015) and Member of Club de Madrid
Jamie Peters, CEO, Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Jan Egeland, Secretary General, Norwegian Refugee Council
Jemima Olchawski, Chief Executive, The Fawcett Society
Jessica Woodroffe, Director, Gender and Development Network (GADN)
Jodie Whittaker, Actor
Her Excellency Dr Joyce Banda, Former President of the Republic of Malawi
Juliet Stephenson, Actor
Justine Mutale, Chair, National Alliance of Women's Organisations (NAWO)
Kate Garvey, CEO, Project Everyone
Baroness Lane-Fox of Soho CBE, Crossbench Peer
Laura Bates, Founder, the Everyday Sexism Project
Mabel van Oranje, Human rights advocate
Mamta Borgoyary, Executive Director, SHE Changes Climate
Melissa Green, Chief Executive, The WI
Michael Sheldrick, Co-Founder, Global Citizen
Michael Sheen, Actor
Mikaela Loach, Author and Co-Director, WETHU School Of Organising
Moazzam Malik, CEO, Save the Children UK
Nakabuye Hilda Flavia, Director, Fridays for Future Uganda
Natasha Walter, Feminist writer and campaigner
Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, President and CEO, ONE
Ndivile Mokoena, Gender Equality, Climate and Social Justice officer, Gender CC SA and Women for Climate Justice
Nigel Harris, Chief Executive, Tearfund
Nikita Gill, Poet and author
The Rt Hon Baroness Northover, former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for International Development
Olusegun Obasanjo, President of Nigeria (1976-1979; 1999-2007) and Member of Club de Madrid
Padmini Weerasuriya, Executive Director, Women's Centre Sri Lanka
Paloma Faith, Singer/songwriter, author and campaigner
Pearl Mackie, Actor and Activist
Raakhi Shah, Chief Executive, The Circle NGO
Rahela Sidiqi, Founder, Rahela Trust
Rexhep Meidani, President of Albania (1997-2002) and Member of Club de Madrid
Romilly Greenhill, Chief Executive Officer, Bond
Rose Caldwell, CEO, Plan International UK
Baroness Ruth Davidson
Ruth Healey, President, Soroptimist International
Sacha Deshmukh, Chief Executive, Amnesty International UK
Sandi Toksvig OBE, Writer/broadcaster
Sara Bowcutt, Managing Director, Women for Women International UK
Dr Sara Pantuliano CMG, Chief Executive, ODI Global
Sarah Gavron, Film Director
Sarah Roberts, CEO, Practical Action
Scarlett Westbrook, Climate justice campaigner and journalist
Seung-soo Han, Prime Minister of the Rep. of Korea (2008-2009) and Vice President of Club de Madrid
Baroness Shami Chakrabarti
Simon Hotchkin, Acting CEO, Practical Action
Stephanie Eyram Akrumah, Lawyer and Director, Centre for Green Growth
Stephen Fry
Tanya Steele, CEO, WWF
Timi Okuwa, CEO, Black Equity Organisation
Tim Wainwright, Chief Executive, WaterAid UK
Titilope Ngozi Akosa, Executive Director, Centre for 21st Century Issues
Tom Mitchell, Executive Director, International Institute for Environment and Development
Tsakhia Elbegdorj, President of Mongolia (2009-2017) and Member of Club de Madrid
Vanessa Nakate, Director, Tard Foundation
Vicente Fox, President of Mexico (2000-2006) and Member of Club de Madrid
Wigdan Adam Salim, Executive Director, Sudan Social Development Organization (SUDO)
Zelda Perkins, Co-Founder, Can’t Buy My Silence