A Government review of Britain’s progress against the UN’s global development goals has found that the UK has made “significant strides” in meeting the targets, but that more remains to be done.
The report, presented by International Development Secretary Rory Stewart, said that more work was needed on the key UK priorities of reducing poverty and ensuring “no one is left behind”.
Commenting, Anne Quesney, a senior women’s rights advocacy advisor at ActionAid UK, said:
“It’s good to see ministers reasserting the UK’s role in the fight to end global poverty, and recognising how women and girls are particularly affected by violence, economic injustice and climate change – to name just a few major global challenges which fuel gender inequality. But we need to go further. Women and girls – and especially grassroots women’s rights organisations – are absolutely central to the fight to end global poverty, inequality and instability. This is why gender needs to be at the heart of all policymaking – from trade to aid to foreign affairs and beyond. Only then will the Government’s ambition to ‘leave no one behind’ be truly met.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
1. ActionAid is an international charity that works with women and girls living in poverty in over 40 countries. Our dedicated local staff are helping end violence against women and girls and changing lives, for good. We won’t stop until women and girls are out of danger, out of poverty and on track to create the future they want.
2. For further information, contact the media team on email: uk.cpe.media@actionaid.org, or (out of hours) on 07753 973 486.