Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
October 20, 2025 Women
The world today faces the highest number of active armed conflicts since 1946, resulting in enormous suffering for women and girls.
More and more women are living near conflict zones.
According to the UN Secretary-General's 2025 report on women, peace, and security, 676 million women live within 50 kilometers of conflict zones. This is the highest figure since the 1990s. The death toll among women and children has quadrupled compared to the previous two-year period. "Women and girls are being killed at record levels, excluded from peace negotiations, and left unprotected, while conflicts escalate," said Sima Bacchus, Executive Director of UN Women.
In Ukraine, women and girls account for 31 percent of all civilian casualties, according to the report. Domestic violence in the country has increased by 36 percent since 2022, and 42 percent of women are now at risk of developing depression.
The report estimates that 640,000 Ukrainian women and girls have been affected by cuts in psychosocial support, HIV/AIDS services, and women's economic empowerment programs supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
“To counter this trend, the government, together with Germany and UN Women, has created an alliance bringing together 15 governments, major international financial institutions, civil society, and the private sector to improve financing for gender equality measures in Ukraine’s recovery process,” the report states.
It also says there has been an 87 percent increase in conflict-related sexual violence worldwide in two years.
The report was published on the 25th anniversary of the adoption UN Security Council Resolution 1325, in which the international community committed to ensuring greater participation of women in conflict resolution and peace processes, and to providing women and girls with the necessary protection in conflict situations.
Progress may be undone
As the report notes, more than two decades of progress in this area could be undone. For example, Georgia recently saw a significant increase in the number of women in municipal leadership positions—to 30 percent, compared to 13.4 percent in 2021. However, in April 2024, the Georgian parliament abolished mandatory electoral gender quotas, which could reverse this trend.
"Women don't need new promises – they need power, protection and equal participation," says Sima Bacchus.
Despite abundant evidence that women's participation in negotiation processes makes the world more stable, they remain almost entirely excluded from decision-making. Although more and more countries are developing national action plans to implement Resolution 1325, this rarely leads to real change.
In 2024, nine out of 10 peace processes did not feature a single female negotiator. Women accounted for only 7 percent of negotiators and 14 percent of mediators worldwide.
Investments in war
The report also points out that while global military spending exceeded $2.7 trillion in 2024, women's organizations in conflict zones received only 0.4 percent of that aid. Many are on the verge of closure due to a lack of funding.
According to Bacchus, these are not “dry numbers,” but a sign that the international community is deliberately investing in war rather than peace, while continuing to exclude women from decision-making.
The report also emphasizes the need for a "gender revolution" in data. Without gender-sensitive data, the global community knows little about the reality of women in conflict zones.
UN Women calls for concrete results – ensuring conflict resolution through inclusive political processes, increasing women's participation in leading security and recovery reforms, and strengthening accountability for violations against women.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.