Only if we function collectively can we much better prepare, take early activity and respond to safeguard the rights, health and lives of women and girls in events. We have seen first-hand the critical role UNFPA plays in this regard, and I urge other donors to continue to step up so that UNFPA has the financing it needs to continue leading a global response to GBV in events and to prepare and react flexibly when those downturn hit. But it’s not just about financing. The UK uses all levers at our disposal to ensure the health and protection of women and girls, including our convening power. Just two weeks ago, at the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Conference in London, we all led efforts to strengthen the global response to conflict related sexual violence, including through prevention, justice and accountability and support to survivors. Alongside our partners, we all committed: Thank you very much. First of all, let me just thank Executive Director Kanem plus UNFPA staff for every thing they do to provide life-saving providers to the millions of women and young ladies in crisis-affected countries. You might have the UK’s full respect and support. The UK’s aim is to strengthen people’s ability to recover from crises, to shield and prioritise the most vulnerable when crises occur, and to amplify the voices of the very most marginalised, in particular women and ladies, to ensure their needs are usually met.
- First, to strengthen humanitarian responses to gender-based violence (GBV), including by ensuring access to clinical management of rape and by championing the Call to Action on Protection from GBV in Emergencies;
- and, second, to ensure access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive wellness, including safe abortion, at the outset and throughout crises.
Thanks a lot very much, good morning, and good morning to all colleagues on the contact. We are grateful to you, Dr . Kanem, and UNFPA colleagues for engaging in the conference and using your platform to highlight the critical part of women-led organisations within preventing GBV and supporting survivors’ access to SRHR plus GBV services, including the life-saving role of safe illigal baby killing emergencies. The UK is committed to bolstering our support to local, women-led organisations – the true experts on the needs of their communities. It is why the UK funds humanitarian efforts targeted at the health and protection of ladies and girls. It is exactly why UNFPA’s work is so essential. The UK is proud to be one of your top humanitarian contributor, supporting life-saving Gender Dependent Violence (GBV) and lovemaking and reproductive health interventions this year in Afghanistan, Somalia, Syria, and Ukraine. We have been also proud to be the largest donor to UNFPA’s Supplies Programme, ensuring contraceptives and life-saving maternal, new-born and child health commodities achieve those most in require. We are faced with a sobering picture and a bleak trajectory. In 2023, 339 million people is going to be in need of humanitarian assistance. Conflict and crises are progressively trapping marginalised people, especially women and girls, in cycles of vulnerability. 70% of women in crisis configurations experience gender-based violence; teenage girls in conflict zones are usually 90% more likely to be away from school; and 60% associated with preventable maternal deaths occur in conflict, displacement and organic disaster settings. These are not merely numbers. They represent person lives.
