Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what overseas visits officials in the Government Equalities Office have undertaken in 2017; how many officials took part in each such visit; and what the (a) cost, (b) purpose and (c) outcome of each such trip was.
Answered on
9 March 2018
The table below sets out the overseas visits that GEO officials undertook in 2017, together with the number travelling, the purpose and outcome and the cost:
Visit | Number of officials | Purpose | Outcome | Total Cost (£) |
UNI-FORM Conference and ILGA-Europe Seminar on Hate Crime, Brussels, Belgium | 1 | Attendance at UNI-FORM project conference and ILGA-Europe seminar on hate crime | Launch new hate crime reporting website and app; identify and develop good practice on tackling anti-LGBT hate crime; showcase UK good practice | Paid for by hosts |
EU High Level Group on Gender Mainstreaming Tallinn, Estonia | 1 | Attendance at High Level Group on gender mainstreaming | Update provided on UK progress on ratification of Istanbul Convention. Networks built with others doing equivalent role across EU. Knowledge sharing from EIGE on STEM challenges for girls across Europe | 422 |
EU seminar on sexual harassment, Copenhagen, Denmark | 1 | Attendance at the EU Mutual Learning Programme in Gender Equality: Tackling sexual harassment | Exchange information, knowledge and good practice on tackling sexual harassment | 114 |
UN Commission on the Status of Women, New York, USA | 4 | Attendance at the UN Commission on the Status of Women | Negotiated strong outcome documents, shared UK good practice, collaborated with international partners | 17,784 |
Annual high-level conference on LGBTI issues, Valletta, Malta | 1 | Attendance at conference on LGBTI issues | Exchange information, knowledge and good practice on LGBT policy with particular emphasis on intersex and gender recognition systems. | Paid for by hosts |
LGBTI European Focal Points Network Meeting, Brussels, Belgium | 1 | Attendance at LGBTI European Focal Points Network Meeting | Exchange information, knowledge and good practice on LGBT policy, including UK presentation on our HBT bullying programme. | 145 |
LGBTI European Focal Points Network Meeting, Slovenia | 1 | LGBTI European Focal Points Network Meeting | Exchange information, knowledge and good practice on LGBT policy | 145 |
UN General Assembly, New York, USA | 1 | Support the Foreign Secretary at the Bloomberg global business forum while he chaired a meeting on gender equality | Successful meeting and networks built between GEO and senior business leaders. | 996 |
Research and UK / Canada Partnership on Gender Equality, New York, Boston and Ottawa, US and Canada | 4 | Building relationship with US and Canadian authorities to promote gender equality | Launched a partnership with the US on STEM; a collaboration with Harvard to work together on a research programme and the UK/Canada working group on gender equality | 10,655 |
Council of Europe drafting committee, Paris, France | 2 | Attendance at a Council of Europe drafting committee | Promote UK objectives in relation to draft text. | 473 |
Council of Europe Gender Equality Commission, Strasbourg, France | 1 | Attendance at the Council of Europe Gender Equality Commission | Identify and agree gender priorities for the Council of Europe, monitor progress on delivering the CoE gender equality strategy and showcase UK good practice | Paid for by hosts |
Council of Europe drafting committee, Paris, France | 1 | Attendance at a Council of Europe drafting committee | Promote UK objectives in relation to draft text | Paid for by hosts |
Council of Europe - Exchange on the religious dimension of intercultural dialogue, Strasbourg, France | 1 | Attendance at the Council of Europe Exchange on the religious dimension of intercultural dialogue | Represent UK as Vice Chair of the CoE Gender Equality Commission | Paid for by hosts |
Council of Europe Gender Equality Commission, Prague, Czech Republic | 1 | Attendance at the Council of Europe Gender Equality Commission | Identify and agree gender priorities for the Council of Europe, monitor progress on delivering the CoE gender equality strategy and showcase UK good practice | 73 |
EU Annual Colloquium on Fundamental Rights, Brussels, Belgium | 1 | Attendance at the EU Annual Colloquium on Fundamental Rights | Contribute to analysis of theme “women's rights in turbulent times” | 215 |
European Commission Seminar on LGBT bullying, Lisbon, Portugal | 1 | Presenting on the UK’s anti-homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying programme | Sharing best practice from the UK on interventions to reduce homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying with other countries; learning from other countries about their own approaches | Paid for by hosts |
G7 Ministerial Meeting on Gender Equality, Taormina, Italy | 2 | Represent the UK in discussions on G7 action on gender equality and supporting FCO Special Envoy for Gender Equality deputising for the HMG Ministers | Presented the UK position on a number of areas relevant to gender equality and promoted UK priorities; strengthened bilateral collaboration with other G7 members; and negotiated and agreed Ministerial statement on the meeting, setting out G7 priorities on gender equality | 809 |
Expert meeting on the economic independence of women, The Hague, Netherlands | 1 | Sharing research on the best practice and helping women of childbearing age balance childcare and work responsibilities | Improved understanding on the latest research and a deeper understanding of interventions used in other countries including what works and what doesn’t | Paid for by hosts |
EU High Level Group on Gender Mainstreaming, Valetta, Malta | 2 | Attendance at the bi-annual EU High Level Group on Gender Mainstreaming with former Deputy Director | Showcase UK good practice on gender equality and agree priorities which support the Presidency’s gender equality objectives | 1,131 |
EU High Level Group on non-discrimination, equality and diversity, Brussels, Belgium | 1 | Attendance at the bi-annual EU High Level Group on non-discrimination, equality and diversity | Strengthen cooperation and coordination between Member States’ relevant authorities and the Commission on eliminating discrimination. Exchange good practice on achieving diversity and full equality | 90 |
Women’s Political Leadership Summit, Reykjavic, Iceland | 2 | Understand international perspectives on women’s political representation, as well as global agreement on ways forward | Informed further discussions with parliamentarians in the UK, particularly on non-legislative approaches to increasing women’s political representation. Further understanding of real women’s experiences of gender equality in Iceland | 1,203 |
Technical meeting on advancing gender equality in international fora Brussels, Belgium | 1 | Discuss ways of working better with other EU Member States and EU institutions to promote gender equality in international fora, primarily the United Nations | Identified areas where EU action needs to be better coordinated and more coherent and discussed possible ways to improve EU impact at the United Nations | 24 |