Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how they are highlighting the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan and Iran, whether they are engaging with Afghan and Iranian women or organisations supporting them, and what practical steps they are taking in doing so.

The UK has repeatedly condemned the oppressive measures faced by women and girls in Afghanistan and Iran, though the situation for women and girls in each country is different. In September, the Foreign Secretary hosted a roundtable with Iranian women's rights defenders, as part of our visible support in their call for change. On 11 March, I [Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon] spoke at an event on Afghanistan as part of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. We will continue to engage with women from both countries.