DFID has put a great deal of work into strengthening its support for gender equality, and significant progress has been made. We recognise, however, that more remains to be done. Gender equality will remain at the heart of our policy and implementation work, and provide a focal point in our dialogue with our partners.
In the next few years, we will focus our efforts on strengthening operational effectiveness, extending and developing partnerships, and improving our knowledge. We expect our investment in gender equality to continue to rise as we further build our support for the attainment of gender equality as a major goal for the 2Ist Century.
The Department for International Development (DFID) is the British government department responsible for promoting development and the reduction of poverty. The government elected in May 1997 increased its commitment to development by strengthening the department and increasing its budget.
The policy of the government was set out in the White Paper on International Development, published in November 1997. The central focus of the policy is a commitment to the internationally agreed target to halve the proportion of people living in extreme poverty by 2015, together with the associated targets including basic health care provision and universal access to primary education by the same date.
DFID seeks to work in partnership with governments which are committed to the international targets, and also seeks to work with business, civil society and the research community to encourage progress which will help reduce poverty. We also work with multilateral institutions including the World Bank, United Nations agencies and the European Commission. The bulk of our assistance is concentrated on the poorest countries in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
We are also contributing to poverty elimination and sustainable development in middle income countries, and helping the transition countries in Central and Eastern Europe to try to ensure that the widest number of people benefit from the process of change.
As well as its headquarters in London and East Kilbride, DFID has offices in New Delhi, Bangkok, Nairobi, Harare, Pretoria, Dhaka, Kathmandu, Suva and Bridgetown. In other parts of the world, DFID works through staff based in British Embassies and High Commissions.
DFID
94 Victoria Street
London SW1E 5JL
UK
DFID
Abercrombie House
Eaglesham Road
East Kilbride
Glasgow G75 8EA
UK
Switchboard: 0171 917 7000
Fax: 0171 917 0019
Website: www.dfid.gov.uk
email: enquiry@dfid.gov.uk
Public enquiry point: 0845 3004100
From overseas: +44 1355 84 3132
Designed by Redhouse Lane for DFID information
Department 7/99 l/5k. All photography courtesy of Panes picture library,
Tropics picture library and DFID.
