Select Committee · International Development Committee

Women, peace and security

Status: Closed Opened: 7 Mar 2025 Closed: 10 Jun 2026 12 recommendations 11 conclusions 1 report

The International Development Committee is launching a new inquiry into how the UK Government is involving the needs and voices of women in its development efforts. The cross-party committee of MPs will explore the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, adopted by the United Nations, considering how this agenda is being incorporated into UK aid … Show more

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
10th Report - Peace under pressure: Protecting Women, Peace… HC 782 23 Mar 2026 23 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

8 items
4 Recommendation 10th Report - Peace under pressure: Pro… Accepted in Part

The future of Women, Peace and Security hangs in the balance and must be addressed...

The future of Women, Peace and Security hangs in the balance and must be addressed in its entirety rather than solely through country specific work. The UK should convene a dedicated session on Women, Peace and Security the next time it is President of the United Nations Security Council. (Recommendation, … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government partially agrees, emphasizing its commitment to embedding women's participation across all UN Security Council discussions and inviting women to brief in geographic-focused Council meetings, but does not explicitly commit to convening a dedicated WPS session when it next holds the presidency.
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
10 Conclusion 10th Report - Peace under pressure: Pro… Accepted in Part

There is a lack of transparency surrounding the UK’s Women, Peace and Security spending, including...

There is a lack of transparency surrounding the UK’s Women, Peace and Security spending, including how much Official Development Assistance is directed towards Women’s Rights Organisations, making it difficult for civil society organisations and other actors to track and assess progress on Women, Peace and Security. (Conclusion, Paragraph 60) Read more

Government response AI summary
The government partially agrees, explaining it refrains from naming individual partners for security reasons, but commits to providing over £3.5 million from a centrally managed programme for women peacebuilders and rights organisations for two financial years (FY26/27), thus providing some transparency on ODA.
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
11 Recommendation 10th Report - Peace under pressure: Pro… Accepted in Part

As part of its National Action Plan refresh, the Government should set out how Women,...

As part of its National Action Plan refresh, the Government should set out how Women, Peace and Security objectives will be fully resourced and prioritised in the context of Official Development Assistance cuts, and how associated funding will be strategically distributed. The Government should ringfence multi–year funding for Women, Peace … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government partially agrees, committing to provide over £3.5 million from a centrally managed programme to support women peacebuilders and rights organisations, with a similar amount in FY26/27. However, it does not commit to ringfencing multi-year funding for the broader WPS programming or to publishing …
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
13 Conclusion 10th Report - Peace under pressure: Pro… Accepted in Part

The Government has not learned lessons from the first round of aid cuts and continues...

The Government has not learned lessons from the first round of aid cuts and continues to enact policy changes that are devastating to the realities and futures of women, girls and marginalised groups. New sentence here: We welcome the Government’s commitment to ensure women and girls are a priority in … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government partially agrees, countering concerns about inadequate funding by detailing over £3.5 million in support for women's rights organisations and committing to similar funding for FY26/27. It defends its gender mainstreaming approach, explaining how it strengthens WPS implementation within the MOD.
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
15 Recommendation 10th Report - Peace under pressure: Pro… Accepted in Part

To guarantee the sustainability of Women, Peace and Security, a stable, ringfenced budget focused on...

To guarantee the sustainability of Women, Peace and Security, a stable, ringfenced budget focused on flexible multi–year funding would protect against global socio–political changes and pressures. It would also allow 35 Women’s Rights Organisations and other partners to strategically plan and act both proactively and reactively to crises. Without this, … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government partially agrees, committing to provide over £3.5 million from a centrally managed programme for women peacebuilders and rights organisations for two financial years (FY26/27). However, it promotes mainstreaming WPS across the MOD as an institutional strengthening measure, directly countering the committee's concern about …
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
16 Recommendation 10th Report - Peace under pressure: Pro… Accepted in Part

In response to this report, the Department should provide details to the Committee on existing...

In response to this report, the Department should provide details to the Committee on existing mechanisms for coordinating meaningfully between Government Departments, or how it intends to establish systematic coordination. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office should report findings back to the Committee within six months of this report’s publication. … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government partially agrees, detailing the existing robust governance structure for cross-government coordination and committing to review this structure as part of the 2026 NAP Refresh. However, it does not commit to reporting findings back to the Committee within six months.
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
19 Recommendation 10th Report - Peace under pressure: Pro… Accepted in Part

The Government must establish a biennial engagement mechanism with parliamentarians, civil society, and academic experts...

The Government must establish a biennial engagement mechanism with parliamentarians, civil society, and academic experts to review and refine National Action Plan indicators and reporting. Existing data on women’s participation, lived experience, and programme impact must be 36 incorporated into the UK’s monitoring framework, enabling meaningful oversight and accountability of … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government 'Partially Agrees', committing to ensuring a robust governance structure for the refreshed WPS NAP and stating it will consider introducing annual reporting to Parliament, with specifics on updated governance, including reporting, to be published as part of the 2026 WPS NAP Refresh.
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
23 Recommendation 10th Report - Peace under pressure: Pro… Accepted in Part

The Government must reinstate annual reporting to Parliament on Women, Peace and Security implementation following...

The Government must reinstate annual reporting to Parliament on Women, Peace and Security implementation following the 2026 National Action Plan refresh and commit to reporting which integrates progress on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, as set out in the Women, Peace and Security Bill. The Government must also review and … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government partially agrees, committing to consider annual reporting to Parliament for the 2026 NAP refresh but noting the NAP currently commits to biennial reports. It accepts including reporting on sexual violence in conflict within the WPS NAP strategic objectives and will publish governance structure …
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Oral evidence sessions

3 sessions
Date Witnesses
16 Dec 2025 Alistair Carns DSO OBE MC MP · Ministry of Defence, Chris Elmore MP · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Emily Maltman · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Stuart Mills · Ministry of Defence View ↗
18 Nov 2025 Eva Tabbasam · Gender Action for Peace and Security (GAPS), Professor Toni Haastrup · The University of Manchester, Reem Alsalem · United Nations View ↗
14 Oct 2025 Fawzia Koofi · Afghan Parliament, Fiona Kilpatrick-Cooper · The HALO Trust, Hanin Ahmed · Emergency Response Rooms, Sudan, Stephanie Siddall · Women for Women International, The Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon View ↗

Who gave evidence

12 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Alistair Carns DSO OBE MC MP · Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister … Ministry of Defence 1
Chris Elmore MP · Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Multil… Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office 1
Emily Maltman · Head of Gender and Children in Conflict Department Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office 1
Eva Tabbasam · Director Gender Action for Peace and Security (GAPS) 1
Fawzia Koofi · Former Deputy Speaker Afghan Parliament 1
Fiona Kilpatrick-Cooper · Director of Weapons and Ammunition Management The HALO Trust 1
Hanin Ahmed · Sudanese Activist and Emergency Response Room Lea… Emergency Response Rooms, Sudan 1
Professor Toni Haastrup · Professor The University of Manchester 1
Reem Alsalem · Special rapporteur on violence against women and … United Nations 1
Stephanie Siddall · Director of Global Policy and Advocacy Women for Women International 1
Stuart Mills · Head of Global Issues, Security Policy and Operat… Ministry of Defence 1
The Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon 1