UN Report Warns of Record Conflicts and Rising Violence Against Women and Girls

The world is facing its highest number of armed conflicts since 1946, according to the 2025 UN Secretary-General's Report on Women, Peace and Security (WPS). The report paints a stark picture of escalating violence and inequality, warning that hard-won progress for women's rights in conflict and peacebuilding is rapidly unraveling.

Issued to mark the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, the landmark commitment to women's participation and protection in peace and security, the report underscores the devastating human cost of war—particularly for women and girls.

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

A Global Crisis of Conflict and Gendered Violence

According to the report, 676 million women now live within 50 kilometers of active conflict zones—the highest number in nearly three decades. 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 since 2023.

From Sudan to Gaza, Ukraine, Myanmar, and Haiti, the scale of human suffering continues to rise. Women are facing not only direct violence but also the collapse of health, education, and social protection systems. In many regions, displacement, food insecurity, and economic disruption have pushed millions into extreme vulnerability.

In Sudan, for example, women in internally displaced persons' sites like Alazhri are struggling to access basic services while also organizing community networks for survival and peacebuilding. Their resilience stands in stark contrast to the international community's waning attention to gendered impacts of conflict.

Twenty-Five Years After Resolution 1325: Gains at Risk

The report commemorates 25 years since Resolution 1325, adopted in 2000, which recognized women's vital role in peace processes and called for their protection from gender-based violence during conflict. Yet, despite decades of advocacy and awareness, the report reveals a deep gap between rhetoric and reality.

While more countries than ever—over 100—have developed National Action Plans (NAPs) on Women, Peace and Security, implementation remains weak. In 2024, 90% of peace negotiations excluded women, and women made up only 7% of negotiators and 14% of mediators globally.

"Despite overwhelming evidence that women's participation makes peace more durable, women remain largely excluded from decision-making," the report states.

Where women's groups have been included, peace agreements tend to last longer, address social issues more effectively, and include stronger provisions for justice and human rights. Yet systemic barriers—ranging from political resistance to lack of funding—continue to marginalize women from formal peace processes.

War Spending vs. Peace Investment: A Stark Imbalance

One of the report's most striking revelations is the gross imbalance between global military spending and funding for peace and gender equality. In 2024, global military expenditures reached a record USD 2.7 trillion, while women's organizations in conflict zones received just 0.4% of international aid.

This chronic underfunding has left many grassroots women's groups—often the first responders in humanitarian crises—on the brink of closure. These organizations play critical roles in mediating local conflicts, providing psychosocial support, and rebuilding communities.

"These are not isolated data points," Bahous said. "They are symptoms of a world that is choosing to invest in war instead of peace, and one that continues to exclude women from shaping solutions."

The report calls for a reallocation of global resources toward prevention, protection, and inclusive peacebuilding, warning that the cost of inaction will be measured in lives lost and opportunities wasted.

Data Gaps and the Need for Accountability

The report highlights another major challenge: the lack of gender-disaggregated data in conflict analysis and humanitarian response. Without reliable information, women's experiences remain invisible, hindering efforts to design effective interventions or measure progress.

UN Women has urged governments and partners to launch a "gender data revolution", enabling more accurate tracking of gender-based violence, participation rates, and access to services. This is essential for accountability and for ensuring that women's realities shape policy decisions, not the other way around.

The Path Forward: Inclusive Peace and Justice

The Secretary-General's report lays out a clear agenda for reversing these alarming trends. It calls for:

• Inclusive political solutions that prioritize women's participation at all levels of negotiation and governance.

• Greater accountability for violations, including conflict-related sexual violence, with survivors gaining access to justice and reparations.

• Investment in women's leadership in security sector reform, reconstruction, and humanitarian response.

• Increased, predictable funding for women's rights and peace organizations in conflict-affected contexts.

UN Women also emphasized the importance of ensuring women's economic empowerment as a foundation for sustainable peace. Supporting women entrepreneurs, educators, and local mediators in fragile settings can create long-term social cohesion and resilience.

A Call for Courage and Commitment

As wars proliferate and geopolitical divides deepen, the 2025 report serves as both a warning and a rallying cry. It urges the international community to move beyond symbolic commitments and take bold, measurable action to uphold the Women, Peace and Security agenda.

"UN Women is calling for concrete results: conflicts resolved through inclusive political solutions, more women leading security reforms and recovery efforts, and greater accountability for violations," said Bahous.

At a time when the voices of women in conflict zones are louder—and more urgent—than ever, the report reminds the world that peace without women is no peace at all.