More than 60 leading UK and international charities have issued a stark warning to the government, urging it to reverse planned cuts to overseas aid funding that they claim will result in “the worst aid budget for women and girls on record”.
In a joint statement led by Care International and endorsed by organisations including Oxfam, Save the Children, and World Vision, the coalition slammed the government’s proposal to eliminate dedicated gender equality funding as a “shameful” and “dangerous” move.
The charities highlighted that axing programmes such as the UK-backed “What Works” violence prevention initiative would leave over one million women and children worldwide at greater risk of abuse.
“These are not just numbers on a spreadsheet,” the statement reads. “Behind every cut is a person — a woman or girl whose safety, education, and healthcare are being put at risk.”
The government plans to reduce aid spending from 0.5% to 0.3% of gross national income, representing a cut of approximately £6 billion from the current £15.4 billion budget.
Development Minister Baroness Jennifer Chapman confirmed earlier this month that gender and education programmes would bear the brunt of the cuts, as resources are redirected to emergencies in Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan.
However, campaigners argue this shift ignores widespread public support for women’s and girls’ rights. A recent YouGov poll cited by the charities found 63% of UK respondents believe foreign aid should prioritise gender equality.
The statement from the coalition warns the repercussions will be severe: “Specialist services for rape survivors will vanish, girls will be denied access to classrooms, and women will remain sidelined from positions of power and influence.”
Currently, only 12% of UK aid funding is focused on gender equality — and more than half of women’s rights groups in developing nations surveyed by UN Women say they may be forced to shut within six months due to funding shortfalls.
Helen McEachern, CEO of Care International UK, said: “It is unconscionable that the government would strip away life-saving support for women and girls during a time of global volatility. These cuts are not abstract — they endanger real lives.”
Oxfam GB’s chief executive Dr Halima Begum called the proposed rollback “beyond concerning — it’s dangerous,” adding that in the face of growing anti-rights movements, the UK should be redoubling efforts to protect vulnerable women and girls.
The UK’s cuts come amid a broader global trend of reducing development spending, yet the scale of Britain’s reduction — a 40% cut to aid for developing countries — is among the steepest. Save the Children previously warned that such a move could leave more than 55 million people without access to basic essentials.
Baroness Chapman acknowledged to MPs that the impact would be “huge”, but insisted that the crises in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan are where the public expects Britain to “lead”.
Campaigners, however, say leadership should not come at the expense of the world’s most vulnerable. “No society can prosper by leaving half its population behind,” said McEachern. “If Labour wants to avoid being remembered as the government that abandoned women and girls, it must urgently rethink this path.”
