Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to improve the protection of children’s rights in Afghanistan.

The UK has provided £3.3 billion of aid funding since 2002 which has helped improve the rights of all Afghans, including women, children and minority groups. There are now 8.2 million more children in school than in 2001. Youth literacy rates have increased to 65% in 2018 from 47% in 2011. In 2001, most girls were unable to go to school but there are now 3.6 million girls in school. Over the last year, we have engaged with partners on the development and roll out of the national school safety framework to ensure that children can access a safe learning environment. Over the last eight years, the UK has helped over a quarter of a million girls attend school through the Girls' Education Challenge Fund.