Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions she has had with women’s rights organisations based in the global south to help to inform her Department's response to the covid-19 pandemic.

We know that women and girls will be particularly hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is likely to increase domestic violence, exacerbate the burden of care on women, and increase maternal mortality.

Southern women’s rights organisations (WROs) will be among the first responders on the front line and most likely to reach vulnerable women and girls. They are best placed to ensure the response is informed by the voices and needs of women.

DFID has therefore engaged directly with key women’s funds and women’s rights organisations to understand the impact on the ground and ensured their participation in wider civil society consultations. The United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence has shared conclusions of its rapid assessment from 122 women’s rights organisations.

This evidence is informing our response. This includes providing £10 million of UK aid to the United Nations Population Fund and £20 million to the UN Children’s Fund to scale up protection and support services for women and girls. We launched a call for proposals under our Rapid Response Facility which required all projects to mainstream gender, protection and safeguarding.

Consultation will continue as the situation evolves and as we move into recovery and response.