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Lynne Featherstone

Lynne Featherstone, Ministerial Champion for Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Overseas

I was appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for International Development on 5 September 2012. I am the Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green.

Tackling violence against women in India - day 2

Yesterday was day 2 of my visit to India on the theme of violence against women, and I spent the day meeting people in some of the poorest areas of Madhya Pradesh. It was an incredibly informative and inspiring day, …

Tackling violence against women and girls in India

Since 2010 I’ve served as the UK’s first ministerial champion for tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) overseas, and developing this role has kept me quite busy. From the UN to the UAE, I’ve compared notes with ministers, officials …

Women and clean energy in Bangladesh

A woman collects firewood from the forest. Picture: G.M.B.Akash/Panos

Though it may not seem obvious, access to clean energy and women’s empowerment especially in the developing world are intrinsically linked. Collecting firewood, for example, can make a woman or girl vulnerable to attack while she’s outside her village searching. …

Ending child marriage in Bangladesh: girls not brides

Young Bangladeshi girls holding text books. Picture:GMB Akash/Panos

Imagine your life if you were married at 15, against your will, to an abusive husband. It’s the same for almost all the women you know. Your education came to an abrupt end once you were married, and you’re not …

Breaking the silence: violence against women in Somalia and beyond

Young Somali girl in a classroom. Picture: Sven Torfinn/Panos

When you think of Somalia, you probably think of Black Hawk Down, Al Shabaab terrorism and piracy. But if you’re born a girl in Somalia, you face so many other risks, both severe and everyday. Decades of war and humanitarian …

The time is now to prevent a man-made famine in South Sudan

Lynne Featherstone meeting a young mother and child in Ganyiel, South Sudan. Picture David Shaw/DFID

I can clearly remember my first overseas visit as a DFID minister. It was just under 2 years ago, in October 2012. I was struck by the optimism and hope that filled the air of this new and ambitious country. …