MPs say that cutting British aid could be “devastating” for young women and girls who are looking for programs that help them with their sexual and reproductive health.
The IDC (Commons International Development Select Committee) said that it has been very hard for women and girls in the UK since 2020 because of these aid cuts. Basically, the money has been cut, sometimes in the middle of a program. This means that girls and women can’t keep getting the care they need.
It was said that around 300,000 women died while pregnant or giving birth around the world in 2020, with 70% of those deaths happening in Africa. A lot of experts say that these numbers could be avoided if these women and children kept getting help. Also, 2.4 million children died in their first year of life. Like before, most of them were from Africa, but some were from Asia.
The head of the IDC, Sara Champion, said, “In South Sudan, a girl is more likely to die giving birth than to finish secondary school.” In the UK, too, the number of maternal deaths is at its highest level in 20 years. However, almost all maternal deaths happen in poorer countries (95%).
To speak out, the Labour MP for Rotherham said, “Last year’s equalities impact assessment from the FCDO showed the horrifying numbers of women and girls—thousands and thousands—who will once again face unsafe abortions and who will die in pregnancy or childbirth because the UK has cut its aid spending.”
Spending cuts mean that women can’t get the care they need, which can lead them to get treatments that aren’t safe and could even kill them.
The UK cut the amount of money it gave to ODA, or Official Development Assistance, from 11.7 billion pounds in 2020 to 7.6 billion pounds in 2022. MSI Reproductive Choices also lost 79% of its funds. In 2021, 85% of the money that the UN Population Agency had was taken away.
Many people have said that they shouldn’t cut money from this aid because it’s important for the health of not only their own people but also people who pass through or stay in their country for long periods of time.
Many people said that the drop in aid could be very bad, and they asked that the aid be given regular funding again for the next five years to make sure that the programs can keep going at full capacity.
