Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 January 2022
18. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the work his Department is undertaking to combat gender-based violence overseas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3643/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraA Better World, the Government's policy for international development, establishes gender equality as a policy priority. Globally, gender-based violence has increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions.
Ireland is among OECD countries with the highest annual proportion of official development assistance (ODA) invested in gender equality measures, including the reduction of gender-based violence.
Ireland funds initiatives to this end through Irish and international NGOs, the UN and through our country programmes, mostly in Africa. In 2021, my Department, through the Irish Aid programme, committed approximately €15 million annually to address gender based violence. This includes partnerships with the International Rescue Committee, and the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women, which supports grassroots efforts in over 80 countries. The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) is a longstanding partner of Ireland’s. They address gender based violence by providing sexual and reproductive health services, explicitly combating harmful practices such as genital mutilation and child marriage. Irish Aid's support for education for girls also helps keeps girls safe.
My Department is also a member of the Irish Consortium on Gender Based Violence. The Consortium facilitates advocacy, learning and capacity building of Irish NGOs to respond to GBV.
In recent years, my Department has supported work to prevent and respond to gender-based violence in a large number of countries, including Palestine, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Liberia, Vietnam, Zimbabwe and Zambia. For example, in Zimbabwe, the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown contributed to a 75% increase in demand for services for women suffering from gender based violence. In response, Ireland supported Oxfam to scale up services to respond to domestic violence and advocate for women’s rights. This provided support for 1,500 individuals per month, and doubled the capacity of shelters.
Gender features as a theme of the 2020 Irish Aid Annual report, which contains more information on this issue.
