Source · Select Committees · International Development Committee
Recommendation 22
22
Accepted
Paragraph: 48
It is important that UK aid programmes are fully inclusive and target all communities, including...
Recommendation
It is important that UK aid programmes are fully inclusive and target all communities, including marginalised groups and those considered less employable. This is crucial to ensuring that no one is left behind.
Government Response Summary
The government states they target interventions carefully to reach communities most in need and describes a range of UK aid programs focusing on tackling multi-dimensional exclusion in Pakistan, including support for legislation, community interventions, education, health, and the Benazir Income Support Programme.
Paragraph Reference:
48
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
Response: We target interventions carefully to ensure we reach communities most in need with the finite resources available. There are a wide range of UK aid programmes that focus on tackling multi-dimensional exclusion in Pakistan, increasing civic participation and promoting inclusive growth to leave no one behind. For example: • Supporting stronger legislation and institutions to eliminate gender-based violence, modern slavery, child and forced marriages as well as supporting rights for religious minorities and transgender communities. • Undertaking interventions at the community level, for example community mediation to reduce violence against women and girls and minority communities. • Working to increase educational enrolment and retention for girls, as well as supporting other excluded groups such as children with disabilities to access quality education. • Targeting health and nutrition programmes to some of the most vulnerable segments of society; including maternal, infant health, and access to family planning products and services. • UK support has played a key role in laying the foundation of Pakistan’s national cash transfer programme, the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), which benefits women from extremely poor families; and we invested in the data systems which enabled the Government of Pakistan to reach 14.9 million people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please in addition see the response to the committee’s related recommendations 34 and 35. UK aid to Pakistan: Government Response to the Sixth Report of the Committee, Session 2021–22 xi