Fiona O’Donnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona O’Donnell on 2014-06-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the new Indian government in favour of increased action to tackle caste discrimination, sexual violence and other forms of discrimination and inequality.

Mr Hugo Swire

We are committed to working with the Government of India and international partners to address the problem of gender-based violence, human trafficking and child exploitation in India. Through the Department for International Development (DFID) programme, the UK supports measures in India’s 120 poorest districts to promote the empowerment and access to benefits and services of excluded groups. DFID India also provides support to national and state governments in India which includes helping girls to complete basic education and further tackling violence against women and girls.

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), invited the Government of India to attend the End Sexual Violence in Conflict Summit and has already discussed the initiative with the new Indian Foreign Minister. The Indian High Commissioner to the UK attended the Summit.