The number of women killed in global conflicts doubled last year, with women now accounting for 40 per cent of all civilian deaths in war zones, according to a new United Nations report.
The UN Women report, examining the security situation of women and girls affected by war, states that UN-verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence also increased by 50 per cent in 2023 compared to 2022.
The United Nations documented at least 33,443 civilian deaths in armed conflicts in 2023.
More than 13,377 of these, or four in 10 civilians killed in conflicts, were women, whilst three in 10 were children.
The world is “in a frightening spiral of conflict, instability and violence” with 170 armed conflicts recorded in 2023, according to the report, which presents a grim picture of the increasingly violent impact of warfare on women and girls globally.
“Women continue to pay the price of men’s wars”, said UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous.
“This is happening in the context of a broader war against women. The deliberate targeting of women’s rights is not unique to conflict-affected countries, but it is even more deadly in these environments”.
UN Women said “blatant disregard” for international laws designed to protect women and children during war has left women without access to healthcare in conflict zones, with 500 women and girls in conflict-affected countries dying daily from pregnancy and childbirth-related complications.
By the end of last year, 180 women were giving birth daily in Gaza, most without medical care.
In Sudan, where there have been extensive reports of sexual violence, the UN agency said most victims did not have access to medical care in the first 72 hours after their rape, including emergency contraception.
It reported that rape victims were denied abortions because they were outside the legal timeframe.
Military and political power remains overwhelmingly male-dominated, with women comprising less than 10 per cent of negotiators in peace processes in 2023.
UN Women said this persists despite evidence showing peace agreements last longer and are more effective when women participate.
The report comes 24 years after the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which called on all parties in conflicts to ensure women and girls’ safety and women’s full participation in peace processes.
“We are witnessing the weaponisation of gender equality on many fronts”, said Bahous. “If we do not stand up and demand change, the consequences will be felt for decades and peace will remain elusive”.
The report noted that women in Sudan are being forced into “transactional rape” to secure food or water, a practice denounced by dozens of organisations.
(philenews with information from in.gr)
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