Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support women and girls in states affected by conflict.

Empowering women and girls is a UK Government priority. The UK will take a leading role on the global stage, building partnerships, particularly in the Global South, to promote greater gender equality that strengthens whole societies and economies. Having led on UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in 2000, the UK is resolute in its commitment to the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda, and intends to build on the ambition displayed in the UK's 5th WPS National Action Plan during this anniversary year. At the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in March 2025, I, alongside Lord Collins, will promote women's economic empowerment, galvanise funding for the global grassroots women's rights movement, support women and girls in Afghanistan, and strengthen global action on conflict-related sexual violence.