UN report warns wars increasingly deadly for women and girls

A United Nations report states that women and girls accounted for one in four of the more than 37,000 civilians killed in armed conflicts in 2025. This figure is double their share of civilian deaths recorded in 2021. The secretary-general’s annual report on Women, Peace and Security notes that at least 25 women and girls are killed every day in conflict settings.

The report indicates that 750 million women and girls live within 50 kilometers of active conflict, which is 40 million more than in 2024 and the highest number since 1990. UN Women Deputy Executive Director Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda told journalists in New York that war is becoming deadlier for women and girls.

The UN verified 9,788 cases of conflict-related sexual violence in 2025, which is more than twice the number from the previous year and nearly four times the 2022 figure. In Haiti, reported cases of sexual violence increased by 163%.

Health risks for women in conflict zones have also increased. Gumbonzvanda stated that a woman giving birth in a conflict-affected country is five times more likely to die from maternal causes than a woman in a stable country. In Gaza, the report found that the destruction of hospitals and maternity facilities contributed to a 41% decrease in live births and a 300% increase in miscarriages.