UK cuts funding to UN Women, UNFPA

The decision by the UK government to reduce funding to two key United Nations agencies has been greeted with uproar.

The UK government last week announced it will be reducing its regular resources to UN Women by approximately 60 per cent, from $15.9 million to $6.9 million for 2021.

UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka in a statement, noted that the reductions will have a major impact on their ability to support immediate and long-term aspects of global Covid-19 response and recovery.

Ms Ngcuka said areas of life-saving assistance and support to women’s livelihoods and income generation, as well as advising governments on meeting the needs of survivors of the ‘Shadow Pandemic’ of gender-based violence will be affected by the fund cuts.

“It is, therefore, with great concern that we have learnt from the government of the United Kingdom of its intention to reduce funding to UN Women’s regular resources by approximately 60 per cent for 2021,”she said.

The UN Women boss said the reversal is deeply alarming both as a loss of critical funds to women and girls, and as a potential weakening of the global community’s commitment to this central Sustainable Development Goal, just when strength and sustained support is most needed.

She urged the UK to continue championing gender equality and women’s empowerment, including through the G7 to build global solidarity.

“We count on its continued support, for example, as a co-lead of the global Generation Equality Action Coalition on gender-based violence, to mobilise concrete, ambitious and sustainable commitments towards achieving gender equality as we prepare for the Generation Equality Forum in Paris from June 29 to July 2, 2021,”she added.

Financial backbone

Since 2013, the UK has funded the UN Women with resources that provide the institutional financial backbone for agency’s role as a champion, convenor and catalyst for advancing women’s rights.

The UK also last week announced funding cuts to United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency of flagship program for family planning, from $211 million the expected for 2021 to $32 million this year.

The agency has indicated that these cuts will be devastating for women and girls across the world, saying the UNFPA supplies partnership with the UK would have helped prevent around 250,000 maternal and child deaths, 14.6 million unintended pregnancies and 4.3 million unsafe abortions.

“When funding stops, women and girls suffer, especially the poor, those living in remote, underserved communities and through humanitarian crises, said UNFPA Executive Director Dr Natalia Kanem.

Dr Kanem added that the UNFPA deeply regrets the UK’s decision to step away from its commitment at a time when inequalities are deepening and international solidarity is needed more than ever.

The withdrawal of approximately $180 million to the UNFPA supplies partnership, would have helped prevent around 250,000 maternal and child deaths, 14.6 million unintended pregnancies and 4.3 million unsafe abortions, she added. 

Whilst acknowledging the challenging situation facing many donor governments, Dr Kanem said the UNFPA deeply regrets the UK’s decision to step away from its commitments at a time when inequalities are deepening and international solidarity is needed more than ever. 

Observers now see the move as a major blow to the two UN organisations, which champion women empowerment.

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