Exclusive: Critics warn move could worsen impact of Donald Trump’s rollback of funding for diversity and aid projects abroad
Ministers are considering scrapping a commitment to spend 80% of foreign aid on projects supporting gender equality, the Guardian has learned.
Critics warned the move could worsen the impact of Donald Trump’s rollback of funding for diversity and aid projects abroad, which has affected maternal and reproductive health services in developing countries.
The Conservative government committed in 2023 to ensuring that 80% of the Foreign Office’s bilateral aid programmes had a focus on gender equality by 2030.
Labour ministers reaffirmed the commitment earlier this year. Stephen Doughty, a junior Foreign Office minister, said ministers would continue to work towards the target in March, even after the government had announced it was cutting international aid from 0.5% to 0.3% of GDP to spend more on defence.
