The UN paints an alarming picture of the situation of women in war: despite the increase in conflicts, less than 10% of those responsible for negotiations in peace processes in 2023 were women
New York, October 22 – The effects of war and conflict on women and girls are worsening. In 2023, the proportion of women killed in armed conflict doubled compared to 2022. Four in ten people who died due to conflict in 2023 were women. Cases of conflict-related sexual violence verified by the UN have increased by 50%.
These increases in wartime deaths and violence against women come against a backdrop of increasingly blatant disregard for international law designed to protect women and children during conflict. For example, women living in war zones increasingly suffer from limited access to health care. Every day, 500 women and girls die from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth in conflict-affected countries. By the end of 2023, 180 women were giving birth every day in the war-torn Gaza Strip, most of them without access to basic necessities or medical care.
This is the disastrous picture that the latest annual report by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on women, peace and security, under the leadership of UN Women. This report comes 24 years after the adoption of Security Council Resolution 1325, which calls on all conflict stakeholders to ensure the safety of women and girls and to fully involve women in peace processes.
“Women continue to pay the price of wars perpetrated by men,” said Sima Bahous, executive director of UN Women. “This is happening in the context of a broader war on women. The deliberate targeting of women’s rights is not unique to conflict-affected countries, but it is even more fatal in these contexts. We are seeing the weaponization of gender equality on many fronts, and if we do not stand up and demand change, the consequences will reverberate for decades, and peace will remain elusive,” she says.
Despite commitments made over many years to ensure the full and meaningful participation of women in peace and security matters, political and military power and decision-making regarding conflicts continue to be dominated by men. In 2023, women made up only 9.6% of those responsible for negotiations in peace processes, although studies show that when women are involved, peace agreements last longer and are better executed.
In Yemen, for example, negotiations led by women resulted in safe access to a water source for civilians. In Sudan, 49 women-led organizations are campaigning for a more inclusive peace process. These efforts are not supported or recognized in official peace negotiations.
One of the main obstacles to achieving the commitments identified in the report on women, peace and security is the glaring lack of funding. In 2023, global military spending reached a record $2.44 trillion. In contrast, funding for organizations and movements that support women’s rights remains insufficient, accounting for just 0.3% of total annual aid, particularly in conflict-affected areas. Investments in preventing and responding to gender-based violence represent less than one percent of all humanitarian spending.
In 2025, the world will reach a series of anniversaries of important global actions to promote gender equality and human rights for all, including the 30th commemoration of the Beijing Platform for Action, the most visionary blueprint for of women’s rights adopted by 189 countries. The report concludes that only bold political action and increased funding will make women’s equal and meaningful participation in peace and security a reality: a reality essential to achieving lasting peace for all.
Media contacts: media.team@unwomen.org
Ines Esteban Gonzalez: ines.esteban.gonzalez@unwomen.org
Maria Sanchez Aponte: maria.sanchez@unwomen.org
Fareena Alam: fareena.alam@unwomen.org
