The UK has announced cuts to the aid budget while increasing defence spending. CARE’s recent report revealed that UK aid for gender equality fell from £6.3bn in 2019 to £3.4bn in 2022—the lowest on record since reporting began in 2014. With the latest round of cuts announced today, this decline will only deepen, compounding the effects of previous reductions and contributing to a global trend where major donors are pulling back from gender equality commitments.

25 November marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

This also marked the beginning of #16DaysofActivism against Gender-Based Violence. GAPS has been amplifying resources and activities from partners globally who, amidst the rollback on rights and shrinking civic space, are building a new world that is just and fair. View GAPS's tweets here. The FCDO hosted a reception to mark the 16 Days of Activism, hosted by Minister Phillips and Minister Dodds, which GAPS attended. GAPS was also present at the FCDO-hosted event, with Minister Falconer, to view "The Women Who Beat ISIS" travelling photo exhibition by Farida Global Organisation.

Read the UK's statement at the UN Security Council on CRSV here. 

19 August marked International Humanitarian Day:

Civil society demonstrated their support for the day, including aid workers in Gaza who paused for a moment of silence, in solidarity with fellow humanitarians and to honour the 289 colleagues killed since October 2023. GAPS joined the calls to #ActforHumanity to ensure the protection of civilians, including humanitarians, in conflict zones & ensure accountability for violations of International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law. Read the full thread here. 

With the release of the party manifestos over the past weeks and upcoming UK General Election, this month has been filled with anticipation and opportunity. As a penholder for UNSCR 1325, the incoming Government holds the responsibility to re-commit, reform and propel the WPS agenda forward, to enact the meaningful change that has, so far, been underwhelming. 

As May marks eight months of heightened bombardment and dehumanisation against the Palestinian people, we are sharing yet another newsletter with our call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and end to the brutal occupation in Palestine. Alongside many colleagues in civil society and activist spaces, GAPS has been urging the UK Government to take account of their actions which feed and legitimise the violence facing Gaza.

GAPS March Newsletter Welcome to GAPS March wrap up.  It was a very busy month for GAPS!  The sixty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67) took place in New York this month, which saw women-led civil…

Welcome to our December and 2022 wrap-up. It has been an eventful and busy year for the GAPS Team, and as we draw an end to 2022, GAPS is looking forward to celebrating the holidays with friends and family, and…

Welcome to our October wrap-up. This month, the GAPS Director headed to Berlin for the W7 conference, and to New York for Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Week at the United Nations. Ahead of the Open Debate, GAPS signed onto…

Welcome to our September wrap-up. This month, GAPS launched our  2021 Shadow Report at an event that brought together GAPS members, civil society, parliamentarians and other stakeholders to discuss the UK Government's implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda…

Updates Response to the Crisis in Afghanistan On Monday 17th August, GAPS wrote to the Prime Minister, and the Secretaries of State for the Home Department, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, and Defence about the life-threatening situation facing women and…

This policy brief by GAPS member Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy provides a brief overview of the feminist foreign policy frameworks from Sweden, Mexico, Canada, and France, and outlines how those four countries with feminist foreign policies have been responding to the pandemic. This policy brief also identifies concrete policy recommendations for a feminist response to COVID-19.