Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government in which countries the Department for International Development (DfID) has awarded contracts for the drilling of water wells; and how many of those contracts were awarded centrally by DfID, and how many were awarded locally<i>.</i>
Answered by Baroness Verma
DFID delivers a range of water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) activities, through partners in 22 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia all of which use proven approaches that deliver affordable and sustainable services.
These interventions are not restricted to the drilling of water wells. As such, DFID do not disaggregate individual activities separately and are therefore not able to report specific numbers of drilling contracts.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what work the Department for International Development will carry out to improve its understanding of double or multiple discrimination and exclusion, such as potential extra disadvantages that girls with disabilities may face in comparison to boys who do not have disabilities.
Answered by Baroness Verma
DFID prioritises work that targets the most vulnerable and disadvantaged, the most excluded, those caught in a crisis, and those most at risk of violence and discrimination, including woman and girls with disabilities. DFID’s approach to Leave No one Behind includes a particular focus on working with partners to strengthen data, analysis and evidence to ensure a deeper understanding of who is left behind, where they are and the reason for exclusion.
In order to improve our understanding of double or multipole discrimination and exclusion, we will continue to strengthen the capacity of national governments, private sector and civil society to generate, analyse and use disaggregated data. DFID will work with the United Nations, to develop and share methodologies, standards and norms for improved data disaggregation at a global level and ask our partners to collect, use and report disagreed quantitative and qualitative data by age, disability, sex, location and other characteristics.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the change in reporting on the Department for International Development’s Disability Framework from an annual review to twice every five years, how they intend to maintain momentum around achieving their overall vision of a world where no one is left behind.
Answered by Baroness Verma
The UK Aid Strategy sets out the UK Government’s ambition to be a world leader in implementing the Promise on Leave No One Behind. The promise was launched by the Prime Minister and agreed by other world leaders at the UN General Assembly in September 2015. To deliver our strategy, we will prioritise work that targets the most vulnerable and disadvantaged, the most excluded, those caught in crises, and those most at risk of violence and discrimination. We recognise that achieving our overall goal of leaving no one behind will take time, and require concerted and sustained effort across governments, citizens, civil society and businesses. The UK will work in partnership with others to build and sustain momentum on Leave No One Behind at the High Level Political Forum in July 2016 as well as deliver a global moment each year to review progress and give people that are being left behind, including people with disabilities, a regular chance to have their voices heard.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government why there is no mention of disability in the Department for International Development’s single departmental plan; and how that Department intends to ensure disability is prioritised across the Department in the light of that omission.
Answered by Baroness Verma
DFID’s Single Departmental Plan reaffirms our commitment to eliminate extreme poverty and to lead the world in implementing the Leave No One Behind Promise agreed by the Prime Minister and other world leaders in September 2015. The inclusion of people with disabilities is central to the delivery of this promise. This is why I launched our revised Disability Framework in December 2015, setting out a comprehensive and strengthened commitment to include people with disabilities in all of our work.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Verma on 25 February (HL6190), when they will take the decision about who will represent them at the World Humanitarian Summit, and how that decision will be publicised.
Answered by Earl of Courtown - Captain of the Queen's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The decision will be taken closer to the Summit.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to support proposals at the World Humanitarian Summit in May to ensure that women are involved in planning and decision-making during a humanitarian emergency response.
Answered by Baroness Verma
The UK supports proposals to ensure that women are involved in planning and decision-making during responses to humanitarian emergencies. It will be a priority of the UK to secure outcomes from the summit that promote the protection and empowerment of women and girls, strengthening their voice, choice and control in crisis settings.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of humanitarian funding goes to women’s rights organisations and local organisations with expertise in gender during emergencies.
Answered by Baroness Verma
Providing opportunities for women’s rights organisations to participate in humanitarian preparedness, response, and recovery is one means to ensure that the unique needs of women and girls are addressed and that the capacities of women and girls are recognised and utilised. This is one of the themes of a high-level leaders’ roundtable event at the World Humanitarian Summit in May 2016, which the Government expects to deliver for women and girls, including on their increased participation in humanitarian assistance.
In addition, DFID has contributed £6 million to the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women, which provides grants to organisations across the world to tackle gender-based violence, including small women’s rights’ and youth-led organisations and has committing to increasing its focus on funding to small women's rights organisations.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that their work supporting humanitarian emergency responses delivers long-term change that empowers women from affected communities.
Answered by Baroness Verma
Through meaningful participation and inclusion during humanitarian preparedness and response, women and girls can be included in long-term change and recovery efforts following natural disasters, conflicts, and other crises. The Women, Peace, and Security agenda offers an opportunity to link women’s participation in immediate crises response to wider political, social, and economic participation, including their inclusion in peace processes. Along with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence, DFID is a partner in delivering the National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security.
The World Humanitarian Summit in May 2016 offers an opportunity to ensure that women are empowered during the delivery of humanitarian assistance, which has been demonstrated to accelerate the transition from response to recovery and lead to longer-term efforts to promote and achieve gender equality. One the Government’s priorities for the Summit is to push for it to deliver outcomes for women and girls.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that women from affected communities are in positions of leadership and involved in planning and decision-making during a humanitarian emergency response.
Answered by Baroness Verma
To ensure that humanitarian responses meet the unique needs of women and girls, women should be provided with opportunities to engage in humanitarian response systems, decision-making processes, and accountability mechanisms. DFID works with partners, including United Nations agencies and non-governmental organisations to promote the inclusion of women and women’s groups in planning and decision-making around preparedness, response, and early recovery. This approach reflects the International Development (Gender Equality) Act 2014 that states that before provision of humanitarian assistance, the Secretary of State shall have regard to how it will take account of gender-related differences in needs.
Ensuring the World Humanitarian Summit in May 2016 delivers outcomes for women and girls is a priority for the Government. This includes support towards proposals for system-wide accountability for gender equality and women and girls’ empowerment in crises and increased participation of women’s groups in humanitarian responses.