Preet Kaur Gill MP, Labour’s Shadow International Development Secretary, commenting on the NAO report on improving the lives of women and girls overseas, said:

“There is a real risk that the Covid-19 pandemic will disproportionately affect women and girls. Women make up more than 70% of the global health workers, we are already seeing an increase in gender-based violence, and women are more likely to be in informal, precarious employment which any financial crisis will hit first.

“In order to genuinely understand the different needs, areas of focus and challenges faced by women, men, girls and boys of different ages and stages of life, mainstreaming gender analysis across ODA projects is vital.

“As DfID works on an international response to Covid-19 it is imperative that gender analysis plays a central role across all teams in the department.”