SIR – As Naseem Shah takes her seat in Parliament as the elected MP for Bradford West, she has an important opportunity to help people beyond our borders as well as those at home.
By signing The ONE Campaign’s ‘Just Say Yes’ pledge she can help to ensure that most UK aid goes to the world’s poorest countries and that girls and women are put at the heart of global development.
Sub-Saharan Africa is home to almost one billion people, around half of whom live in extreme poverty. Girls and women in these countries are hit twice as hard: by being born poor and female, they face disproportionate social, economic and political barriers far greater than for men or for women who live in richer countries.
Ending extreme poverty is in our national interest as a more stable, secure and prosperous world clearly benefits the UK. With international summits in Addis Ababa, New York and Paris still to come this year, 2015 is a unique moment to put us on a path to ending extreme poverty for good.
Politicians around the world have a part to play in achieving this goal. I urge Ms Shah to join the campaign by signing ONE’s ‘Just Say Yes’ pledge.
Diane Sheard, UK Director, The ONE Campaign
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