Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department has taken to ensure that resources are reaching women working at the grassroots in developing countries defending women's rights.

Supporting women’s rights organisations is vital to challenging harmful social norms and supporting collective action to bring about change. DFID supports women’s rights organisations through several Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) such as Womankind, Vital Voices and through the UN Trust Fund to end Violence against Women.

In March I announced £8 million for AmplifyChange, an initiative which supports community based organisations to take action on a number of neglected sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and gender issues including child, early and forced marriage (CEFM), female genital mutilation (FGM) and violence against women and girls (VAWG).