Women and girls accounted for one in four civilian deaths in armed conflicts in 2025, double their proportion in 2021, according to a UN report.
At least 25 women and girls were killed every day, while 750 million now live within 50km of an active conflict.
Cases of conflict-related sexual violence verified by the UN nearly quadrupled between 2022 and 2025.
Women made up just 5% of peace negotiators in 2025, while funding cuts threaten the survival of women's organisations.
Women and girls accounted for one in four civilians killed in armed conflicts worldwide in 2025, double their share in 2021, according to a new United Nations report.
More than 37,000 civilians were killed in conflicts last year, with at least 25 women and girls losing their lives every day, the UN Secretary-General’s 2026 report on Women, Peace and Security said.
The report, released on October 26, also found that approximately 750 million women and girls now live within 50 km of an active conflict, 40 million more than in 2024 and the highest number since 1990.
“More women and girls are trapped in wars than at any point in decades,” said UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous.
She warned that military spending continued to rise while development assistance declined, despite the growing need for investment in conflict prevention and peacebuilding.
The report found that cases of conflict-related sexual violence verified by the UN nearly quadrupled between 2022 and 2025.
Around 170 million women and girls live in both conflict-affected areas and extreme poverty, surviving on less than $3 (Rs 285.47) a day. They account for almost 40 per cent of all women and girls living in extreme poverty globally.
In conflict-affected countries, women and girls spend five times as many hours on unpaid domestic and care work as men and boys, double the global average.
The report also raised concerns about the increasing use of drones, long-range weapons and emerging AI-enabled military technologies, particularly in populated areas where civilians already face violence and displacement.
Despite their role in protecting communities and supporting survivors, women remain largely excluded from formal peace negotiations.
In 2025, women accounted for just 5 per cent of negotiators across 57 peace processes worldwide, down from 7 per cent in 2024.
The report said global military expenditure reached a record $2.9 trillion in 2025, while 40 per cent of women’s organisations operating in crisis-affected settings expected to close temporarily or permanently within the next year because of funding shortages.
These organisations provide shelter, support survivors of violence and help mediate local disputes, UN Women said.
The agency called for greater protection of women and girls in conflict, stronger enforcement of international law and sustained funding for women-led peacebuilding efforts.
It also urged governments and international organisations to ensure women have a meaningful role in peace and security decisions.