Source · Select Committees · International Development Committee
Recommendation 22
22
Accepted
Paragraph: 83
Include marginalised and excluded groups in SRHR programme planning and invest in their organisations.
Recommendation
People from marginalised groups, such as people with disabilities and LGBT+ people, may face additional and unique challenges in accessing SRHR services. The FCDO should ensure its commitment to the principle of ‘Leave No One Behind’ in all its SRHR aid programmes. The FCDO should include hard-to-reach aid recipients, often those belonging to often marginalised and excluded groups, in the planning, development, and delivery of aid programmes on SRHR and should invest in community and civil society organisations led by these populations, recognising that they are essential partners in achieving health outcomes.
Government Response Summary
The FCDO agrees and, as outlined in its 2022 Disability Inclusion and Rights Strategy, commits to increasing consultation and active involvement of organisations of persons with disabilities in SRHR programs, strengthening their capacity, and partnering in delivery, citing the ongoing Disability Inclusive Development program.
Paragraph Reference:
83
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
Agree 78. The FCDO recognises the importance of consulting those impacted by our policy and programmes including the most marginalised groups, such as people with disabilities and LGBT+ people. The FCDO believes it is integral to empower and promote the active participation of both these groups as partners, understand their diverse needs and ensure the programmes and policies are inclusive and supportive. 79. As emphasised to in the FCDO’s 2022 Disability Inclusion and Rights Strategy, the FCDO has committed to step up the close consultation and active involvement of organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) in our work, including for SRHR. This includes strengthening the capacity of OPDs to engage and advise on policy and programme design and monitoring; and partnering with OPDs in the delivery of programmes and policy objectives and implement feedback mechanisms. The FCDO has also reiterated its commitment to ensuring that people with disabilities and LGBT+ people are empowered to play a meaningful leadership role and that their voices are heard, including through their representative organisations. 80. The FCDO will build and expand on its existing work ensuring people with disabilities are involved in the planning, development and delivery of aid programmes on SRHR, including with the Women’s Integrated Sexual Health (WISH) Dividend programme, Safe Abortion Action Fund and through the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health. 81. The FCDO’s seven-year (running to March 2026) £46 million Disability Inclusive Development (DID) programme is producing evidence on what works to support people with disabilities in lower-and middle-income countries. By March 2023 the interventions had reached over 16.7m people, including 3m people with disabilities in six countries, providing access to education and health care, supporting livelihoods and microentrepreneurs with disabilities, and tackling stigma and discrimination. The programme has included projects delivering inclusive SRH services in Kenya, Nepal and Nigeria, and evidence from these projects have been used to shape mainstream programmes including the Lafiya programme in Nigeria, WISH and WISH Dividend.