The review gives DFID’s current performance a ‘green’ rating, recognising UK aid’s significant contribution to tackling violence against women and girls. It finds that DFID has demonstrated strong global policy leadership, through initiatives such as the 2014 Girl Summit, and has made a significant contribution to knowledge and evidence on preventing abuse, including on global challenges such as child marriage and FGM.
The report also raises concerns that DFID’s programming, although high quality and innovative, is small compared to the scale of the challenge. While this is a promising start, DFID will need to scale up its work and integrate VAWG into other programming areas if it is to achieve transformative impact.
DFID has rapidly expanded its VAWG programming over the past five years. It now has 23 programmes dedicated to addressing VAWG with a total budget of £184 million, and more than 100 other programmes addressing VAWG. India’s Poorest Areas Civil Society Programme was among one of the 23 programmes which have been included in this review.
As per the report, there is mixed evidence as to the extent and quality of beneficiary engagement in DFID’s VAWG programming. Consultation with beneficiaries was mentioned in only 5 of the 23 business cases that were reviewed, and the Poorest Areas Civil Society Programme in India, was one of good examples of beneficiary engagement in the Girl Effect programme where women and other excluded groups affected by violence play a leadership role in the organisations supported under the programme.
Click here to read the full report
To know more about Poorest Areas Civil Society (PACS) Programme visit: www.pacsindia.org
