Asked by: Roberta Blackman-Woods (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what future plans he has to continue engaging with non-governmental organisations concerned with gender equality and women's rights over the next year.
Answered by David Lidington
Discrimination and violence against women and girls remains one of the most widespread human rights abuses. Tackling this issue is a priority for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and central to our work to advance gender equality and empower women. We will continue to consult non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on our approach. I welcome their expert advice.
FCO officials in London and across the diplomatic network regularly meet with a wide range of NGOs to discuss gender equality and women’s rights. This will continue. As will the regular exchanges with NGOs held at the FCO and in Geneva before sessions of the UN Human Rights Council. The UK Mission in New York consults regularly with international NGOs and in conjunction with Government Equalities Office, holds nightly briefings for UK NGOs attending the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in March each year.
The Forced Marriage Unit runs a quarterly partnership board, involving a range of NGOs; and Conflict Department work closely with Gender Action for Peace and Security – an organisation that represents a number of NGOs. In addition, within the UK, the FCO works closely with the Government Equalities Office (GEO) which carries out an extensive consultation exercise with NGOs in advance of Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) each year.
Asked by: Roberta Blackman-Woods (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to monitor the effectiveness of the commitments given by his Department during the Girls Summit 2014.
Answered by David Lidington
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) committed to work in advance of the Summit to: secure high level overseas attendance, ensure that foreign governments make commitments to end female genital mutilation (FGM) and child, early and forced marriage (CEFM), and lobby countries to sign the Girl Summit Charter. The FCO engaged over 70 of its diplomatic missions, working closely with the Department for International Development. This resulted in over 800 participants attending the Summit from 50 countries, including over 30 ministers; 36 countries signing the Summit Charter so far; and commitments to action from nearly 150 governments, organisations and individuals to date.
The FCO is committed to building on the success of the Summit and will continue to lobby more states to sign the Charter and to continue to make commitments to end FGM and CEFM.