The year 2023 marked a harrowing turning point in the global landscape of armed conflict, revealing a grim reality that experts and advocates have long feared: the safety and rights of women are being systematically eroded on a global scale. According to the latest data released by the United Nations, the proportion of women killed in war zones doubled over the last year compared to 2022. This staggering increase means that four out of every ten casualties in conflict zones are now women, a statistic that underscores a disturbing shift in the nature of modern warfare and the blatant disregard for the international laws designed to protect the most vulnerable.
This surge in fatalities is not an isolated phenomenon but rather the most visible symptom of a broader, more insidious trend. UN-verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence have spiked by 50 percent, illustrating how the bodies of women and girls continue to be used as literal battlefields. These are not merely statistics; they represent a profound failure of the international community to uphold the mandates established decades ago to ensure that gender-based violence is never used as a weapon of war. The data paints a picture of a world where the protections once thought to be foundational to international humanitarian law are being ignored with increasing impunity.
The crisis extends far beyond the immediate threat of violence. In conflict-affected regions, the collapse of infrastructure and the deliberate restriction of resources have created a secondary, silent killer: the total breakdown of maternal healthcare. Every single day, approximately 500 women and girls die from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth in countries ravaged by war. These deaths are largely preventable, yet they persist because the basic necessities of life—clean water, medical supplies, and safe facilities—are being weaponized or destroyed. By the end of 2023, the situation in Gaza reached a catastrophic nadir, with an average of 180 women giving birth every day amidst the rubble, the majority of them lacking access to even the most rudimentary medical care or post-natal support.
This dire assessment is the focal point of the most recent annual report on Women, Peace, and Security, presented by UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The report’s release coincides with the 24th anniversary of Security Council Resolution 1325, a landmark document that was supposed to change the trajectory of global conflict. Adopted in 2000, Resolution 1325 was a clarion call for the world to recognize that peace is unsustainable without the full involvement of women. it demanded that all parties to a conflict prioritize the safety of women and girls and ensure their meaningful participation in every stage of peace processes, from the negotiation table to the rebuilding of civil society.
However, nearly a quarter-century later, the gap between the promises made in New York and the reality on the ground has never been wider. Sima Bahous, the Executive Director of UN Women, has characterized this current era as a “war on women” that transcends the physical borders of conflict zones. “Women continue to pay the price of the wars of men,” Bahous stated, emphasizing that the deliberate targeting of women’s rights is a lethal strategy that is becoming increasingly common. She warned that gender equality is being weaponized across various fronts, and if the international community does not demand an immediate and radical change, the consequences of this regression will haunt global stability for decades.
One of the most persistent obstacles to progress remains the exclusion of women from the corridors of power where decisions about war and peace are made. Despite overwhelming evidence that peace agreements are more durable and better implemented when women are involved in their creation, political and military decision-making remains a male-dominated enclave. In 2023, women accounted for a mere 9.6 percent of negotiators in peace processes globally. This lack of representation is not due to a lack of capability or interest; rather, it is the result of systemic barriers that keep women on the sidelines of formal diplomacy.
The irony is that while they are excluded from formal high-level negotiations, women are often the ones performing the most vital peacebuilding work at the grassroots level. In Yemen, for instance, it was women-led initiatives that successfully negotiated safe passage for civilians to access vital water sources—a feat that formal diplomatic channels had failed to achieve. Similarly, in Sudan, 49 different women-led organizations are currently working in tandem to advocate for a peace process that is truly inclusive and addresses the needs of the entire population, not just the warring factions. Despite these successes, these efforts are frequently ignored or underfunded by the international bodies that claim to support them.
The disparity in funding is perhaps the most telling indicator of global priorities. In 2023, global military spending reached an all-time high of $2.44 trillion. This astronomical sum, dedicated to the machinery of war, stands in stark contrast to the pittance allocated to women’s rights organizations. On average, funding for movements that support women’s rights in conflict-affected areas accounts for only 0.3 percent of total annual aid. Furthermore, investments specifically targeted at the prevention of and response to gender-based violence make up less than one percent of all humanitarian spending. This financial starvation of women’s organizations makes it nearly impossible for them to scale their impact or sustain their life-saving work.
As the world looks toward 2025, a year that will mark several major milestones in the fight for gender equality, the urgency for action has reached a fever pitch. Next year marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, widely considered the most comprehensive and visionary blueprint for women’s rights ever adopted. When 189 countries signed that document in 1995, there was a sense of optimism that the 21st century would be defined by the advancement of human rights for all. The current data, however, suggests a retreat from those ideals.
The UN report concludes with a stark warning: the “Women, Peace, and Security” agenda is not a luxury or a secondary concern; it is a prerequisite for a stable world. Achieving lasting peace requires more than just the absence of active combat; it requires the presence of justice, the protection of human rights, and the equal participation of half the world’s population. The current trend of rising violence and declining participation is a sign that the international system is failing its most fundamental test.
To reverse this tide, the report calls for “bold political action” that goes beyond rhetoric. This includes the implementation of mandatory quotas for women in peace negotiations, the redirection of military budgets toward social protection and gender-responsive aid, and a renewed commitment to holding perpetrators of conflict-related sexual violence accountable under international law. Without a significant shift in how the world funds and prioritizes the safety of women, the cycle of violence will only accelerate.
The data from 2023 serves as a wake-up call for a world that has become increasingly desensitized to the suffering of those in conflict zones. When the death rate of women doubles in a single year, it is not a statistical anomaly; it is a signal that the moral compass of global diplomacy is broken. The “war on women” is not just a phrase; it is a lived reality for millions of people who are being denied their right to safety, healthcare, and a voice in their own future. As we approach the anniversaries of the Beijing Platform and Resolution 1325, the international community faces a choice: to continue with the status quo of exclusion and underfunding, or to finally recognize that there can be no peace for anyone until there is security and equality for women.
