Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government took to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls on 25 November.
Answered by Sarah Dines
Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) is a government priority. VAWG is unacceptable and preventable.
To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the Home Secretary visited Refuge – a charity providing specialist services to victims and survivors of domestic abuse. The Home Secretary saw, first-hand, the National Domestic Violence Helpline the Home Office funds, which offers support and advice to victims and survivors of domestic abuse.
I visited Project Foundation at the Hampshire Fire and Police Headquarters to learn more about the methods they are using to disrupt and address abusive behaviour, whilst also protecting victims and survivors from further harm.
In the week leading up to the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, we launched the VAWG Support and Specialist Services competition for ‘by and for’ services to ensure support is in place for victims and survivors which best serves their needs. This will award up to £8.4 million over two years.
The ‘Enough’ campaign is our national communications campaign to challenge the harmful behaviours that exist within wider society, educate young people about healthy relationships and consent, and ensure victims can recognise abuse and receive support. To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, it collaborated with influencers and commercial partners to share pledges in support of the day via social media and public relations activity.
In relation to tackling violence against women and girls internationally, the Foreign Secretary hosted a conference on ‘sexual violence in conflict’. Over 1,000 delegates from over 57 countries came together to reaffirm their commitment to preventing sexual violence in conflict. At the conference, the UK launched a new three-year Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative Strategy, announcing further funding of up to £12.5 million to deliver its objectives.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) Conference 2022, who his Department invited to that conference; and for reason parliamentary specialist staff were unable to attend that conference virtually or in person.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Representatives of nearly 100 countries were invited to this two-day conference in London to drive forward urgent action to tackle the scourge of sexual violence in conflict. We have sought to put survivors of this abhorrent crime at the centre of the global response. A wide range of survivors attended and participated actively. Invitees included government ministers, the United Nations and civil society organisations from across the globe alongside the Countess of Wessex, the International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan, and Nadia Murad and Dr Denis Mukwege - joint Nobel Peace Prize winners - for their work to combat sexual violence. A wide range of parliamentarians were also invited to the conference and engaged extensively. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon briefed the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict (PSVI), Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and the United Nations (UN) All Party Parliamentary Groups ahead of the conference last week.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham, Edgbaston)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many of the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict team of experts were deployed as of 24 November 2022; and where were those experts based.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
As of 25 November 2022, there are currently five members of the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) Team of Experts under contract for PSVI commissioned tasks. These deployments are supporting the delivery of the PSVI's strategic objectives and include: work to support the investigation and prosecution of war crimes including conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) in Ukraine; development of the Platform for Action to support children born of CRSV; scoping of options to promote CRSV accountability; collaboration with survivors on programme development and survivor engagement at the PSVI International Conference (28-29 November); and psychosocial support for survivors at the PSVI conference itself. None of the above consultants are currently deployed overseas. The Team of Experts has deployed over 90 times to countries such as Ukraine, Bangladesh, Uganda and Ethiopia.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham, Edgbaston)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much Official Development Assistance has been disbursed to projects in Ukraine in (a) conflict prevention and resolution and (b) ending violence against women and girls in each of the last five years.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK has committed £394 million in economic and humanitarian aid in response to the current crisis in Ukraine. As part of our humanitarian response to the Ukraine crisis in 2022, we have provided £1m to UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) which provides urgent sexual and reproductive health assistance to women and girls in Ukraine who have experienced gender-based violence. We have also deployed UK experts as part of the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative to Ukraine, to support the work of national and international bodies and NGOs. The last five years of ODA spend can be found in the more detailed breakdowns of UK ODA, published annually in Statistics on International Development publications (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-on-international-development).
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham, Edgbaston)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what was the budget of the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict team in each of the past three years.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) remains a top priority for the UK Government. Since 2012, the FCDO has allocated over £50 million to PSVI-related activities. The UK committed £2.6 million in FY 20-21 and £4.2 million in FY 21-22 to the PSVI. On 28 November at the PSVI International Conference, the Foreign Secretary will announce a new PSVI Strategy and programmes over the next three years to deliver PSVI strategic objectives. Across these objectives, we will harness world-class UK expertise, including the UK's PSVI Team of Experts and by bringing our diplomatic and defence levers to bear on tackling the scourge of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). PSVI funding is complemented by wider investments across FCDO, such as the What Works to Prevent Violence: Impact at Scale programme, which will contribute to generating a world-class evidence base on what works to prevent CRSV.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham, Edgbaston)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many FTE staff have been in the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative team of experts in each (a) calendar and (b) financial year since 2012.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) Team of Experts is a roster of 28 independent specialists in sexual and gender-based violence, psychology and training, law and social work, hosted within the Civilian Stabilisation Group (CSG) of the Office for Conflict, Stabilisation and Mediation (OCSM). Given it is a roster of deployable experts there are no full-time employees (FTE) in the PSVI Team of Experts. Members of the Team of Experts are contracted for specific pieces of work, which are advertised for recruitment through the CSG and are generally contracted on a self-employed basis. Deployments include supporting the development of FCDO policy and building capacities of governments, the UN and NGOs overseas. The Team of Experts has deployed over 90 times to countries such as Ukraine, Bangladesh, Uganda and Ethiopia.
The PSVI is made up of dedicated teams covering policy issues around conflict-related sexual violence and the PSVI international conference (temporary team). The PSVI sits within the Gender and Children in Conflict (GCiC) department, part of OCSM, and is supported by GCiC Social Development Advisers.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many survivors of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV) are scheduled to attend the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) ministerial conference in November; how many are invited to speak from the Tigray region of Ethiopia; whether the government of Ethiopia will be represented; and what safeguards they will put in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the survivors.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As a Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) Focus Country, we will highlight the effects of conflict in Ethiopia as part of the programme at the PSVI Conference from 28-29 November. We have invited a range of representatives, including from civil society and the Government, able to discuss the impacts of the conflict in Ethiopia.
Guided by the conference Survivor Advisory Group, we are working to ensure survivor perspectives are included throughout our planning and survivors have been invited to engage as speakers across the majority of conference sessions. All survivors attending and/or sitting on a conference panel are doing so by choice. The UK takes safeguarding extremely seriously, and has consulted extensively with survivors, survivor networks and support organisations on survivor participation, needs and care. Psychosocial support will be provided for anyone who may feel affected during the conference. We will also ensure support staff are adequately briefed to ensure survivors are safeguarded and signposted to additional support services where necessary.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to provide funding from the overseas aid budget to help support people who have experienced sexual violence in Ethiopia.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
In northern Ethiopia, the UK has provided £4 million to help support survivors of sexual violence. We are also implementing recommendations from the 2021 scoping mission by the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) Team of Experts. This includes working with women's rights organisations to enhance support services to survivors of violence; new research into the drivers and dynamics of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV); and coordination of the international response to gender based violence.
The UK will shortly publish the new PSVI strategy. This strategy outlines how the UK Government and other stakeholders can contribute to addressing CRSV through diplomatic, development, and defence interventions.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help support survivors of sexual violence in the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
In northern Ethiopia, the UK has provided £4 million to help support survivors of sexual violence. We are also implementing recommendations from the 2021 scoping mission by the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) Team of Experts. This includes working with women's rights organisations to enhance support services to survivors of violence; new research into the drivers and dynamics of conflict-related sexual violence; and coordination of the international response to gender based violence. In October, we co-sponsored the resolution at the 51st session of the Human Rights Council to extend International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia's mandate. The former Minister for Development raised conflict related sexual violence with the Ethiopian President during her visit in October.
Asked by: Baroness Goudie (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in securing an international convention prohibiting the use of rape or sexual violence as a weapon of war, including enforceable and effective sanctions in response to any breaches.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
It is unacceptable that sexual violence and rape continue to take place in conflicts around the world and are, in some cases, used as a method of warfare. Among other things, rape can be a war crime, a crime against humanity and a form of torture. Rape is prohibited under international humanitarian law, international criminal law, international human rights law and UN Security Council resolutions.
The UK is stepping up its ambition to end the culture of impunity that has pervaded acts of Conflict Related Sexual Violence (CRSV). In the first instance, we are focused on addressing the gaps in implementation of existing laws at the national level. We are also seeking further concerted action on the Crimes Against Humanity (CAH) Convention, which is vital to strengthen the international legal architecture and prosecute atrocity crimes including some forms of CRSV. Both of these steps could pave the way for a CRSV Convention in due course.
The UK will host the international Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) conference in November 2022. This will be a key opportunity to show UK leadership and rally international support to agree further action on sexual violence in conflict to eliminate this crime, including stronger international action to promote accountability.