UN: Proportion of women among civilian war casualties has doubled since 2021

Women and girls are bearing an increasingly large share of the human cost of armed conflicts, and war-related sexual violence is on the rise, UN representatives for gender equality warn. In 2025, women and girls accounted for a quarter of all civilian deaths in conflicts- double the proportion recorded in 2021 - according to data presented by UN Women officials and cited by the Anadolu Agency.

Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, Deputy Executive Director of UN Women, stated that women and girls are paying an ever-higher price for wars that she described as "preventable." According to her, more than 37,000 civilians were killed in armed conflicts in 2025.

• Nearly 10,000 verified cases of sexual violence in one year

The United Nations verified 9,788 cases of conflict-related sexual violence in 2025-more than double the figure for 2024 and nearly four times the number recorded in 2022, Gumbonzvanda noted. The UN Women official further pointed out that at least 25 women and girls are killed every day, and that more than 750 million women and girls live within 50 kilometers of an armed conflict zone. "There are conflicts that have vanished from our screens, but not from the lives of the women and girls who endure them. And for those who survive, the burden is relentless," she stated.

• UN calls for the protection of civilians and the inclusion of women in peace negotiations

Gumbonzvanda urged governments and the international community to take action to end armed conflicts, protect civilians, uphold international law, and hold perpetrators of abuses accountable. She also emphasized the need to include women in decision-making processes during peace negotiations and to increase funding for women-led organizations-groups that provide support to conflict-affected communities and contribute to peacebuilding efforts. Meanwhile, Sarah Hendriks, Director of the Policy, Programme and Intergovernmental Division at UN Women, warned that the intensification and proliferation of conflicts globally are worsening the living conditions of women and girls. The appeal from these UN representatives underscores both the immediate need to protect the civilian population and the importance of women's participation in decisions regarding the end of wars and the establishment of a lasting peace.