War Affects Over 600 Million Women: UN Report

News Desk 

United Nations: With the world witnessing the highest number of active conflicts since 1946, women and girls are facing unprecedented risks and suffering, according to a new United Nations report.

The 2025 UN Secretary-General’s Report on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) warns that 676 million women now live within 50 kilometers of deadly conflict—the highest level since the 1990s. Civilian casualties among women and children have quadrupled compared to the previous two-year period, while conflict-related sexual violence has surged by 87 percent.

The report highlights both the disproportionate impact of war on women and the critical roles they play as peacebuilders. It also outlines the Secretary-General’s goals for strengthening the WPS agenda.

“Women and girls are being killed in record numbers, shut out of peace tables, and left unprotected as wars multiply. Women do not need more promises — they need power, protection, and equal participation,” said Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Women, Peace and Security agenda and UN Security Council Resolution 1325, a landmark decision adopted at the turn of the century affirming women’s essential role in conflict prevention and peace processes.

Since its adoption, evidence from countries such as Colombia, Liberia, and the Philippines has shown that women’s participation makes peace agreements more likely to succeed and endure, according to the report.

However, progress remains uneven. The report notes that funding shortfalls continue to hinder implementation of WPS goals. Many women-led organizations working on the frontlines of crises are scaling down operations or closing due to lack of financial support.

The report emphasizes that women can play instrumental roles in mediating conflict. For example, during negotiations to end Yemen’s long civil war, women leaders successfully negotiated access to critical natural resources.

Yet, women’s representation in formal peace processes remains far below the UN’s targets. Data from 2020–2024 shows that women accounted for only 7 percent of negotiators globally, while nearly 90 percent of negotiation tracks included no women at all. Women’s participation as mediators averaged 14 percent, but two-thirds of mediation efforts still lacked any female involvement.

During the annual open debate on the WPS agenda earlier this month, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that while progress has been made over the past 25 years, “gains are fragile and — very worryingly — going in reverse.”

Presenting the report on Monday, UN Women Deputy Executive Director Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda said the sharp rise in civilian casualties tells “a story of unfulfilled promises.”

Meanwhile, Sarah Hendriks, Director of the UN Women Policy Division, cautioned that if current trends continue, decades of progress on women’s rights could be erased. She reiterated the report’s call for binding targets and quotas for women’s participation, accountability for gender-based crimes, and sustained funding for women’s organizations.

“The evidence is clear: when women lead, and when their organizations are resourced, peace is more possible, recovery is faster, and societies are stronger,” Hendriks concluded.