Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of violence committed against women from minority communities in Syria, including Alawite, Christian, Druze, Kurdish, and Turkmen groups, given the UK’s commitments under UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative.

We have consistently advocated for an inclusive political transition and underlined the importance of protecting the rights of all Syrians, including women, and an improved response to sectarian violence. The Foreign Secretary raised these issues with the Syrian Government during his recent visit to Damascus and offered UK support. Syria remains a focus country in the UK's 5th National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, guiding our efforts in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1325. UK funding supports Syrian women's rights organisations to promote gender equality, strengthen women's roles in peacebuilding, and increase their participation in political and public life. Thirteen years on from the launch of the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative, the UK is proud of its leadership on this issue and continues to fund programmes in Syria which document human rights violations and support the trial and convictions of perpetrators of these crimes.