War killed more than 37,000 people outside the fighting forces in 2025. Women and girls made up one in four of these deaths. Their share was twice as high as in 2021. A yearly United Nations report says at least 25 women and girls die in wars each day.
About 750 million women and girls now live within 50 kilometers of fighting. The UN also checked and confirmed 9,788 cases of sexual attacks linked to war in 2025. That was more than twice the number in 2024.
Women have little part in talks to end wars. In 2025, only five in every 100 people working to reach agreements in 57 peace processes were women. Countries spent a record $2.9 trillion on their armed forces that year.
Meanwhile, 40 percent of women’s groups in places facing a crisis expect to close for a time or for good within a year. They do not have enough money to keep working. UN Women calls for better protection for women and girls and a real role for them in peace talks. It also wants continued money for women’s work to build peace and punishment for people responsible for crimes.
