UK government cancels overseas education project for 1 million women and girls after two years

The UK government has canceled the Strengthening Higher Education for Female Empowerment (SHEFE) program aimed at keeping 1 million girls in school across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. This decision, announced by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), follows significant cuts to international aid, just two years after the program was launched.

Impact of the SHEFE Program Cancellation

The SHEFE initiative was designed to enhance access to higher education for girls, reflecting the UK’s commitment to global education. According to Yvette Cooper, the Foreign Secretary, women and girls are a priority for the FCDO. However, the axing of this flagship program raises concerns about the future of educational opportunities for marginalized groups.

Bambos Charalambous, Labour MP and chair of the all-party parliamentary group on global education, expressed alarm, stating, “I’m alarmed that a flagship higher education program designed to empower women and girls and help them achieve their potential appears to have been scrapped because of the aid cuts.”

Reasons Behind the Funding Cuts

The cancellation of SHEFE is part of broader aid reductions by the UK government, which has seen substantial cuts across various educational programs. Earlier this year, the FCDO also withdrew funding for the Education for All program in South Sudan, which was set to support girls and children with disabilities in one of the poorest countries.

This trend is concerning for those in the international development sector, as education is a crucial factor in reducing child marriage and violence against women. Women with higher education levels are less likely to marry young and can significantly improve their economic prospects.

Broader Implications for Global Education

The cuts to SHEFE and other educational initiatives come at a time when international aid to education is projected to drop by $3.2 billion by 2026, equating to a 24% decline. This decline threatens to leave an additional 6 million children without access to education, with many in humanitarian settings.

Joseph Nhan-O’Reilly, co-founder of the International Parliamentary Network for Education, criticized the government’s decision, stating, “The government talks up its commitment to women and girls but at every turn it denies the world’s most marginalized girls the thing that everyone agrees has the biggest impact on their lives: access to higher education.”

• 1 million girls targeted for education support
• £45 million budget for SHEFE program
• £150 million planned for Education for All in South Sudan
• Projected $3.2 billion drop in international education aid