The UK is shirking its responsibility to ensure one of the most basic rights

Nigeria is one of the countries the UK could be helping to create a better world economy - (AP)

The fact that Keir Starmer's government have promised to put women and girls “at the heart of everything we do” in our international work is right and proper, recognising the growing threats of violence and of essential rights undermined everywhere.

However with dramatic cuts to our international development budget already underway there will be competition for what shrunken resources remain. We need to ensure that one of the key building blocks to fulfilling that ambition to empower women and girls – access to clean water and sanitation does not suffer.