Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Rape and Sexual Violence in Conflict

Wednesday 24 November 2021 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government condemns the use of sexual violence and rape as a weapon of war and aims to build international consensus against it.
  • Government agrees that involving women in policy-making is crucial for entrenching change.
  • Government is restoring development budget for women and girls and will allocate funding for projects to support women in policy roles.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Maria Miller Con
Foreign Affairs Women & Equalities
Context

Sexual violence is used as a weapon of war, but it is treated less seriously than other forms of warfare such as chemical weapons or landmines.

Question

What steps the Government are taking to protect women and girls around the world from the use of rape and sexual violence in conflict.

Answer from Elizabeth Truss

It is grotesque that sexual violence and rape is used as a weapon of war. It is wrong that it is treated less seriously than chemical warfare or landmines. That is why we are working to build a new consensus with friends and allies across the world to condemn it as a red line.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific steps or commitments on how the government is addressing sexual violence in conflict were not provided, only acknowledging the issue.

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Q2 Maria Miller Con
Women & Equalities
Context

Ensuring women are involved in policy-making is crucial for creating lasting change and addressing issues such as sexual violence.

Question

Does my right hon. Friend agree that having women themselves around the policy-making table is crucial for entrenching change? What will she be doing to support more women into those sorts of roles in countries where sexual violence is a reality for so many?

Answer from Elizabeth Truss

My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. We are restoring the development budget for women and girls back to its previous levels, and will shortly be allocating funding for such projects. She is right that we need to ensure that we are using all the talents available on parliamentary benches around the world, and I am delighted that we now have a record number of female Conservative MPs in this House.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific measures or commitments to support women's representation in policy-making roles were not detailed, only acknowledging the importance.

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