Response to Prime Minister’s speech in South Africa

In response to the Prime Minister’s speech today in South Africa, ActionAid UK’s Chief Executive Girish Menon says:

“We welcome the Prime Minister’s recognition of the crucial role that the UK plays in improving lives in Africa, and the continued commitment to the 0.7% expenditure on aid. However, within that aid spending we must see the lives of the poorest women and girls prioritised.

In Africa, and all over the world women and girls have significantly less social, economic and political power. Gender inequality is the root cause of women’s rights abuses, and without investing in women’s economic and social rights we will not be able to achieve long term sustainable change in Africa, and beyond.

At ActionAid, every day we see how poor aid and badly-designed trade deals can hurt people in poor countries – particularly women and girls. Mrs May must recognise that growth, and job creation can only be truly inclusive if Governments work together to address the underlying issues of gender inequality and promote the rights of women and girls.”