Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans the Government has to raise the matter of gender-based violence at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Rwanda.

Unfortunately, in light of Covid-19, the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Rwanda 2020 has been postponed. The Prime Minister's Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon looks forward to attending the next CHOGM when it takes place in Kigali. Gender equality remains as important as ever in these times given the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on women and girls. We are working hard to ensure that they are at the forefront of our response. The UK is proud to be a world leader on efforts to prevent Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), and we are committed to eliminating it in all its forms.