UK Government Axes £45m Overseas Higher Education Programme for Women and Girls

The UK Government has withdrawn funding for a flagship international higher education initiative just two years after its launch, ending ambitions to support one million women and girls through university education across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The Strengthening Higher Education for Female Empowerment (SHEFE) programme, unveiled by the previous Conservative administration with a £45m budget, had its tender cancelled by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) as part of ongoing reductions to the overseas aid budget. The scheme was designed to remove barriers preventing women and girls from accessing higher education in target regions, addressing gender disparities in academic participation and workforce development. Its cancellation represents a significant shift in the UK's approach to international education funding, particularly regarding commitments to educational equity and global gender equality initiatives. The withdrawal comes despite the programme's relatively recent inception and its potential to create long-term economic and social benefits in partner countries. The decision reflects wider pressures on public finances and competing priorities within the UK's overseas development portfolio. For local authorities and education leaders monitoring international partnerships and global education policy, the move raises questions about the sustainability of cross-border educational commitments and the UK's role in supporting educational access in developing regions. The cancellation may have implications for universities and colleges engaged in international collaboration and student mobility schemes.