Overseas education project for women and girls axed by UK after two years
Summary
The UK government has ended a major education program called SHEFE, which aimed to help 1 million girls access higher education in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Critics say this move, along with other aid cuts, reduces opportunities for women and girls worldwide and weakens the UK's support for their education and safety.Key Facts
- SHEFE was a UK government-funded program with a £45 million budget to support girls’ higher education overseas.
- The program was canceled just two years after it started, with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) withdrawing its tender.
- Educating girls reduces child marriage rates and violence against women, and helps women earn more money.
- Other UK aid programs for education in countries like South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have also been cut.
- The UK Home Office blocked new student visas from countries including Afghanistan, Sudan, Myanmar, and Cameroon.
- The FCDO’s Girls’ Education Department lost more than half its funding recently.
- Organizations warn these funding cuts could undo progress on gender equality and women’s safety worldwide.
- Public opinion in the UK favors protecting aid programs that help women and girls despite budget cuts.
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