News story

UK announces additional funding to address conflict sexual violence

At G8 Foreign Ministers’ meeting the UK announced further £10 million to tackle sexual violence in conflict & violence against women & girls

From:: Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Department for International Development, The Rt Hon Justine Greening and The Rt Hon William Hague
Published: 11 April 2013

During the G8 Foreign Minister’s meeting today at Lancaster House the British Foreign Secretary, William Hague, announced an additional £5 million, from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Justine Greening announced £5 million from the Department for International Development, to support UK efforts to tackle sexual violence in conflict and violence against women and girls (VAWG).

The Foreign Secretary William Hague said:

I am delighted that we can support today’s historic agreement by announcing additional funds to support grassroots and human rights projects on sexual violence in conflict and projects addressing violence against women and girls. Earlier today my G8 colleagues agreed to call for increased funding for international prevention and response efforts. We need to increase the resources available globally to combat this problem.

The Secretary of State for International Development, Justine Greening said:

This new research will help us find out what works to bring real change and will feed into our programmes to protect women and girls in current emergencies in DRC and in the Syrian refugee crisis. Britain will not stand on the sidelines while so many are denied the chance to reach their full potential and live safe, happy lives. We know that girls and women are at their most vulnerable at times of conflict or humanitarian disaster but we need to know what works best to tackle the terrible, often sexual, violence they face.

The DFID allocation, which is part of the VAWG Research and Innovation Fund, will fund work in up to five countries, looking at what drives and causes VAWG in emergency and conflict settings. It will look specifically at what types of violence takes place and which interventions are the best response and prevention for violence.

The Foreign Secretary also announced £150,000 to support the UN Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict. Which follows the contribution of £1 million announced last year to support the work of the office of the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict.