‘Is feminism “back” at the Foreign Office?’

Yvette Cooper’s appointment as Foreign Secretary presents a critical moment for the UK – a chance to revive leadership on women’s rights and gender equality at a time when both are under assault globally. The last few years have shown how political choices can actively undermine progress, and the importance of a strong UK response. 

Geopolitics have rocked our security and economic landscape, and what seemed like a resolute stance and prioritisation on gender equality at the beginning of Labour’s premiership, has very quickly unravelled. During his time overseeing aid and foreign policy priorities, David Lammy presided over cuts to the UK aid budget and a de-prioritisation of gender equality within the remaining funds. While understanding these decisions were not lightly taken, they are also not abstract.  They will directly jeopardise women’s rights organisations, the very groups delivering life-saving services and advocating for systemic change in some of the world’s most challenging contexts. From Afghanistan to Sudan, from Gaza to climate-affected communities in Nepal and Bangladesh, women and girls are facing the erosion of the support structures that uphold their rights and give them a chance to survive and thrive.

READ MORE: Anneliese Dodds: The future of aid – A new international context

These decisions were made despite polling commissioned by CARE International UK that showed public support for funding women and girls’ rights remains strong, even in a context of cuts. By contrast, the decisions made under Lammy’s Foreign Office, reflect both a detachment from this public sentiment and the longstanding evidence of what works. Reducing the aid budget and deprioritising gender equality undermines the UK’s credibility as a defender of rights, diminishes its global impact, and signals a retreat from the principled leadership the world has come to expect.

Enter Yvette Cooper. Her career demonstrates both experience and a sustained commitment to women’s leadership. She has written extensively on amplifying women’s voices and the power of women to transform communities. But let’s be clear –  being a feminist in principle is not the same as being a feminist in practice. Cooper now has the tools, portfolio, and opportunity to translate feminist principles into action; to protect and expand funding for women’s rights organisations, integrate women’s leadership into humanitarian responses, and use UK diplomacy to push back against anti-rights actors globally.

Why does this matter? Because the rise in global misogyny and the growth of anti-rights actors is not just a social issue – it is a threat to global stability and security. Just as climate denial and anti-vaccine movements undermine public safety and international cooperation, attacks on women’s rights erode democratic institutions, fuel polarisation, and drive violence. Feminism in foreign policy is not optional; it is central to peace, resilience, and global stability.

The stakes could not be higher. A recent UN Women survey revealed that nearly half of women’s organisations working in crisis-affected areas risk shutting down within six months due to declining global aid. These are organisations that run life-saving services, provide legal and psychosocial support, and advocate for systemic change in countries where governments may be indifferent – or worse – to women’s rights. Without urgent intervention, decades of progress will be reversed.

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The question now is whether, under Cooper, the UK will step up or continue to step aside. Feminism at the Foreign Office is not about slogans or token gestures. It is about principled, evidence-based leadership that recognises women and girls as drivers of change, not passive recipients of aid. It is being resolute that advancing gender equality is not just about women and girls, but about levelling up entire societies, unlocking progress and prosperity for all. It’s about shedding the notion that women’s rights is a fringe issue for the ‘woke’ – and instead reclaiming Britian’s proud legacy as the birthplace of the suffragette movement and decades of feminist activism. It is about demonstrating, through the UK’s money, power and influence, that Britain will not abandon its commitments at a time when the world is watching.

Critically, Cooper must act with urgency. As the new Foreign Secretary she has the opportunity to turn the tide. To restore funding, champion women’s leadership, and ensure that gender equality is woven into every corner of UK foreign and development policy. This is not a small ask. It will require political courage, strategic thinking, and the ability to navigate a world increasingly hostile to feminist progress. But it is achievable, and it is essential.

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For those of us working alongside women’s rights organisations across the Global South, the message is clear: we are ready to work in partnership, but we need the UK to lead, not retreat. Standing with women and girls in crises is not charity. It is a strategic, evidence-based, and morally imperative approach that strengthens communities, bolsters stability, and reasserts the UK’s role as a global leader.

Yvette Cooper has a chance to make this moment count. The world – and millions of women and girls – will be watching.

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