Women, peace and security

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

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 programmes, amid plans for the UK’s aid budget to be cut to 0.3% of GNI by 2027. Women and girls are disproportionately vulnerable to conflict, accounting for more than 95% of all UN-verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence in 2023. Today 600 million women, 15% of the world’s female population, live within 50 kilometres of a conflict zone. The Committee’s inquiry will explore how much progress the UK has made in delivering its priorities for women and girls and whether its commitments have translated into substantive outcomes. It will also consider how it can ensure that women’s voices help to shape the policies that affect them. The inquiry comes out of the Committee’s ‘In Development’ programme, which asked development experts to submit ideas for inquiries on the key issues shaping the sector. Join the conversation on X using @CommonsIDC Show less