CARE International UK’s statement on the FCDO Annual Report

“The government claims it is taking a ‘modern approach’ to development, but the vision laid out in this Annual Report does not take us any closer to dismantling the systemic barriers faced by low-income countries and fragile states, such as debt burdens and structural inequalities. Cutting aid does not reduce aid dependency – especially when the very systems that drive it remain untouched.

“However, we welcome that the government has listened to our calls and published an Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) alongside these cuts. We encourage the government to maintain this good practice and publish an EIA for each round of cuts implemented. While the government’s claim that the 2025/26 cuts will not have a disproportionate impact on gender inequalities is encouraging, it is not possible to accurately assess whether this statement holds true, as the information and data is insufficient.

“Neither the Reports, Accounts or the EIA, provide clear breakdowns that distinguish between cuts made to programming that has gender equality as its primary focus and those where it is mainstreamed within existing work. Without knowing which initiatives are being protected or cut, it is impossible to understand the real impact on women and girls. In the interests of accountability and transparency we urge the government to provide this detail immediately, for this and future EIAs.

“The bottom line is, women’s rights are being attacked around the world, and at the same time Governments are withdrawing funding for the very actors fighting to defend them. A modern vision for development cannot be one where the UK is complicit in this rollback. The UK’s commitment to gender equality must be boldly championed, actively prioritised, and transparently accounted for.”