Only 37% of the British public believe the UK Government cares about the rights of women and girls, new polling has found [1], as a coalition of major charities slammed the government’s ‘shameful’ proposal to slash support for women and girls worldwide.
New YouGov data, commissioned by international aid organisation CARE International UK, comes days after UK Development Minister Baroness Jenny Chapman announced her intention to de-prioritise gender equality in the aid budget. The announcement marked a devastating blow to millions of women and girls across the world whose rights are already under attack.
Under the plans, gender equality would be ‘mainstreamed’, meaning programmes that have the specific needs of women and girls as their focus could be eliminated. Experience and evidence show that ‘mainstreaming’ gender, or folding it into other programming, is not enough to tackle the root causes of gender inequality – resulting in less effective aid that delivers poor value for money.
This short-sighted proposal has sparked outrage among international and domestic organisations. Sixty-one organisations, including CARE International UK, Save the Children UK, Oxfam GB and Refuge, have signed a joint statement calling on the government to rethink what they call a ‘shameful’ move which contradicts Labour government’s promise to put women and girls at the heart of its foreign policy. “Backtracking on that pledge now would lay bare its moral and strategic failure and cast a dark shadow over the Government’s commitment to dignity and justice for all,” the statement reads.
The YouGov poll revealed that the British public disagrees that the government should be stripping support for women and girls, with most Brits backing the aid budget being used to uphold their rights. The survey found:
- Just 37% of the public believe the UK government cares about the rights of women and girls
- 63% of the public believe the overseas aid budget should be used to protect the rights of women and girls around the world
- 66% of the public believe the overseas aid budget should be used to prevent violence against women and girls around the world
Cutting just one of the UK’s programmes on preventing violence against women will immediately put over one million women and children at increased risk of violence worldwide [2], the joint statement warns.
Analysis from the ONE Campaign estimates the overall £6 billion cut to UK aid could result in 600,000 fewer lives saved, and 37 million children missing out on vaccinations for deadly diseases – more than double the number of children in the UK.
Helen McEachern, CEO of CARE International UK, said:
“Real people around the world – not statistics – pay the price for decisions made in Westminster’s corridors of power.
“It is unconscionable that the Government would rip away support from women and girls at such a globally volatile time; their safety and rights are not negotiable. If this Government is to avoid being remembered as one of the worst for women and girls, it must immediately reverse course, protect their rights and prioritise gender equality. It’s both a moral imperative and a strategic one: no society can thrive when half its population is left behind. Labour is at risk of leaving a damning legacy.”
Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, Director at the Women’s Budget Group, said:
“Foreign aid isn’t charity – it’s a lifeline for women and girls living through poverty, conflict, and violence. Cutting dedicated gender equality funding, amid mounting humanitarian crises and a global rollback on aid, is both unconscionable and a false economy. The Government must think again. Global uncertainty calls for a different approach to fiscal policy. Instead of squeezing the world’s most vulnerable, it should raise revenue more fairly – through progressive taxation, wealth taxes, and a rethink of restrictive fiscal rules ahead of the Spending Review.”
Dr Halima Begum, chief executive of Oxfam GB said:
“The UK government’s proposed rollback on dedicated funding for gender equality is beyond concerning - it’s dangerous. With the rise of anti-rights movements, the fight to protect the rights of women and girls is more important than ever.
“Abandoning these commitments – like the wider aid cuts – jeopardises significant gains made. It is simply wrong that the Government is choosing to push more people into poverty and deepen gender inequality while the surging wealth of the super-rich goes untouched.”
[1] All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,070 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 15th - 16th May 2025. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
[2] The ‘What Works’ programme, which aims to support one million women and girls at risk of violence globally, is at risk of closure under the Government’s plan.
Media enquiries
For all media enquiries, please contact Zaina Alibhai on alibhai@careinternational.org
