Source · Select Committees · International Development Committee
Recommendation 21
21
Accepted
Paragraph: 69
UK SIDS Strategy disappointingly lacks explicit mention of gender impacts on women and girls.
Conclusion
Given the disproportionate impact of SIDS’ environmental and economic challenges on women and girls, it was disappointing to see no explicit mention of gender in the UK SIDS Strategy.
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the disproportionate impact on women and girls, stating it prioritises a gender-responsive approach to SIDS programmes, commits 80% of bilateral aid to gender equality by 2030, and is updating Blue Planet Fund criteria to strengthen gender focus.
Paragraph Reference:
69
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
Agree 24. The Government recognises that women and girls and other vulnerable and disadvantaged groups are disproportionately impacted by the economic shocks and climate impacts experienced by SIDS. The UK is prioritising a gender-responsive and socially inclusive approach to programmes in SIDS. FCDO remains committed that at least 80% of our bilateral aid programmes will have a focus on gender equality by 2030. While gender does not specifically feature in the external draft of the strategy, the FCDO is committed to mainstreaming gender across our programming and championing women’s voices in international advocacy. 25. For example in the Caribbean, our £350 million UK Caribbean Infrastructure Fund integrates gender equality, working to ensure that infrastructure meets the needs of all, promoting employment and livelihood development for women, and helping tackle risks of gender-based violence in the infrastructure space. The Caribbean Economic Development Programme has a strong focus on women’s economic empowerment through policy development and support to women-owned firms under the Compete project (£10.1 million UK contribution). Our £15 million Violence Prevention Partnership is working to help the Government of Jamaica tackle some of the gender issues driving high levels of violence by and among young males, as well as violence against women and children. 26. The UK recognises that the lack of timely, accessible, disaggregated data in SIDS constrains their ability to plan and implement appropriate policies and programmes to increase development and resilience for the benefit of all. The UK has been working to ensure that sex-disaggregated data is received where relevant for our development projects in SIDS, such as data on beneficiaries and employment, and appropriate analysis. The UK is also helping to tackle the systemic data challenges in SIDS. The UK is already providing some support to improved economic data in the Caribbean, and more recently, the UK worked with Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines to help improve their ability to produce and disseminate relevant and useful disaggregated data on key welfare indicators. The project will build capacity within National Statistics Offices, modernizing and improving data production and distribution. 27. The Blue Planet Fund (BPF) Investment Criteria were developed and used to support the development of strategic and impactful BPF programme portfolio. They included reviewing gender performance as part of a criterion on poverty reduction potential. The Investment Criteria are currently being refreshed in light of the findings of the Independent Commission for Aid Impact’s review of the Blue Planet Fund, including to strengthen the focus on gender equality and social inclusion through a dedicated criterion.