Women and girls accounted for one quarter of the more than 37,000 civilians killed in armed conflict in 2025, double their share in 2021. According to the UN Secretary-General’s annual report on Women, Peace and Security, at least 25 women and girls are killed daily in conflict settings.
An estimated 750 million women and girls now live within 50 kilometres of active conflict, an increase of 40 million compared with 2024. The figure is the highest since 1990. Meanwhile, the UN verified 9,788 cases of conflict-related sexual violence in 2025—more than twice the previous year’s total and almost four times the number in 2022.
Despite their exposure to violence, women remain largely excluded from negotiations to end it. They constituted only five per cent of negotiators across 57 peace processes in 2025. None of 13 ceasefire agreements explicitly prohibited conflict-related sexual violence.
The report also highlights a contrast between military expenditure and funding for women’s organisations. Global military spending reached a record $2.9 trillion in 2025, while severe funding shortages mean 40 per cent of women’s organisations in crisis-affected settings expect to shut temporarily or permanently within a year.
UN Women is calling for stronger protection for women and girls and their meaningful participation in peace and security efforts. Its demands also include sustained investment in women-led peacebuilding and an end to impunity, so that those responsible for crimes are held accountable.
