A UN report on "Women, Peace and Security" stated that more than 37,000 civilians were killed in armed conflicts during 2025, with women and girls accounting for a quarter of them, a rate that has doubled since 2021, amid the spread of advanced weapons and declining respect for international humanitarian law.
The UN News Centre relayed from the report that at least 25 women and girls are killed daily, while more than 750,000 women and girls live within less than 50 kilometers of armed conflict zones. The report clarified that the world witnessed 185 conflicts in 2025, the highest number since 1946, coinciding with a rise in global military spending to approximately $2.9 trillion, and a 23 percent decline in international aid.
Impacts Extending Beyond Killing and Displacement
The report indicated that the impacts of conflicts extend to maternal health, education, and access to basic services. The risk of pregnancy-related mortality for women in conflict-affected countries is five times higher than in stable countries, while the likelihood of girls being deprived of education increases by two and a half times. It noted that the UN verified 9,788 cases of conflict-related sexual violence during 2025.
Nyaradzai Gumbonzvanda, Deputy Executive Director of UN Women, stated that wars have become more lethal for women, girls, and civilians, warning that their impacts reach maternity wards, classrooms, and homes, which are supposed to be safe. In Gaza, Gumbonzvanda explained that the destruction of hospitals and maternal care facilities, along with difficulties in accessing basic supplies, contributed to a 41 percent decline in live birth rates and a 300 percent increase in abortion cases.
Military Spending Rises, Humanitarian Funding Declines
For her part, Sarah Hendriks, Director of the Policy, Programs and Intergovernmental Affairs Division at UN Women, warned of the risks posed by drones, long-range weapons, and AI-backed military technologies, alongside declining respect for international law. The report indicated that global military spending reached approximately $2.9 trillion in 2025, equivalent to 776 times the UN's annual regular budget, while funding allocated to organizations concerned with women's rights and women's movements in conflict zones dropped to approximately $168 million.
Hendriks added that 45 percent of women's organizations operating in humanitarian environments had funding sufficient for no more than six months, while 77 percent of them lost staff. She called on governments and donors to protect funding allocated to gender equality and to support local women's organizations directly and sustainably. She noted that 38 percent of UN entities allocated funding in 2025 to women-led organizations and organizations concerned with women's rights in conflict and crisis zones, compared to 25 percent the previous year.
Calls for Women's Inclusion in Peace Negotiations
Gumbonzvanda and Hendriks emphasized the importance of genuinely involving women in decisions related to war and peace. Gumbonzvanda called on the international community to respect international law, end impunity, stop the killing of civilians, and involve women in peace negotiations as decision-makers. Women and girls in conflict zones face, in addition to the risks of killing and displacement, physical, social, and economic violations. The destruction of infrastructure and the decline of basic services exacerbate their suffering, making their protection and inclusion in peace efforts a necessity to enhance the security and stability of communities.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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