Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department has programmes to promote gender equality in (a) Pakistan and (b) Bangladesh.

Through our programmes in Pakistan we are supporting women and girls to live healthy and secure lives. This includes supporting girls through education, improving maternal health and providing economic opportunities though access to micro-finance and skills training. We are also supporting the rollout and implementation of new legislation to protect women and strengthen their rights, and increasing women’s involvement in decision making at all levels.

Activities to tackle inequality and promote empowerment are embedded across all our bilateral programmes in Bangladesh. As well as providing direct support in areas like education, health, livelihoods and nutrition, we support programmes designed to tackle social norms that result in gender-based violence and early marriage, including working with men and boys, and programmes that ensure access to security and justice.