Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 June 2021 to Question 16916 on Gender Equality Advisory Council, which of the recommendations of the Gender Equality Advisory Council 2021 he plans to implement.

G7 Leaders thanked the Gender Equality Advisory Council (GEAC) for bringing fresh ideas on gender equality to the G7. I thank the Minister for Women and Equalities for her hard work in ensuring that this vital agenda is placed at the centre of G7 activity.

The GEAC proposed numerous and wide-ranging recommendations. G7 Foreign and Development Ministers have committed to drive progress on 12 years of gender-transformative girls' education, and to generate greater economic opportunities for women through the 2X Challenge, which is leveraging $15 billion in development finance to help women in developing countries access jobs, build resilient businesses and respond to the impacts of COVID-19. The G7 Foreign & Development Track will take forward the GEAC recommendation, endorsed in the G7 Leaders' communiqué, for Foreign and Development ministers to consider how best to strengthen international architecture around conflict-related sexual violence. Building on G7 commitments, the UK is galvanising action to end violence against women and girls, through increased investment in prevention and response as co-leads of the Gender-Based Violence Action Coalition for the Generation Equality Forum. As COP President, the UK will advance action on gender-responsive climate financing and call for a green, inclusive and resilient COVID-19 recovery.