§ Sir Alastair GoodladTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development in which countries her Department launched new women's empowerment programmes in 1997–98; and at what cost. [39449]
§ Mr. FoulkesDuring 1997–98 we approved 124 projects and programmes which include support to women's empowerment, spread across the broad range of developing countries where we work. New spending commitments to projects and programmes, across all sectors, which take account of women's concerns, added up to £266 million in 1997–98.
§ Sir Alastair GoodladTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development which initiatives relating to women's empowerment her Department is supporting in the current financial year; and at what cost to public funds. [39447]
§ Mr. FoulkesWe seek to support women's empowerment across the board in our international development assistance programme. The Department for International Development expenditure commitments which include an explicit consideration of gender concerns and which seek to promote gender equality have been steadily rising, a trend which we expect to continue. During 1997–98 new funding commitments across all sectors explicitly taking account of gender concerns add up to about £266 million, representing more than 35% of total bilateral commitments for the year.
§ Sir Alastair GoodladTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what mechanisms her Department will employ to evaluate its work in respect of the removal of gender discrimination in developing and transitional countries; and if she will publish such evaluations. [39448]
§ Mr. FoulkesA major evaluation study of our work in tackling gender discrimination will be undertaken by the Department for International Development's (DFID) Evaluation Department, commencing during the course of the current financial year. A report of the evaluation will be published.
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§ Sir Alastair GoodladTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development when she will publish the study on the gender dimensions to international trade commissioned by her Department. [39451]
§ Mr. FoulkesThe study commissioned by the Department entitled "Global trade expansion and liberalisation: gender issues and impacts" was published in January this year. I will arrange for a copy to be laid in the Library of the House and for a separate copy to be sent to the right hon. Gentleman.