Conflict-related sexual violence more than doubles as women's share of civilian deaths rises: UN

Women and girls are facing increasingly deadly consequences of armed conflict, with their share of civilian deaths doubling since 2021 and verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence rising sharply, UN Women officials warned Monday.

Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, UN Women's deputy executive director for normative support, UN system coordination and programme results, told reporters that women and girls were bearing a growing share of the human cost of wars that she described as "preventable."

More than 37,000 civilians were killed in armed conflicts in 2025, with women and girls accounting for one in four deaths, twice their share in 2021, Gumbonzvanda said.

She added that at least 25 women and girls were killed every day, while more than 750 million lived within 50 kilometers (31 miles) of an armed conflict.

"The conflicts that have disappeared from our screens, but not from the lives of women and girls enduring them. And for women and girls who survive, the burden is relentless," she said.

Gumbonzvanda also warned of a sharp increase in conflict-related sexual violence, saying the UN verified 9,788 cases in 2025, more than double the number recorded in 2024 and nearly four times the figure reported in 2022.

"Women are paying the price of war," she said.

Gumbonzvanda urged governments and the international community to end armed conflicts, protect civilians, uphold international law and hold perpetrators of abuses accountable.

She also called for women to be included as decision-makers in all peace negotiations and for greater funding for women-led organizations working to save lives and build peace.

Sarah Hendriks, director of the Policy, Programme and Intergovernmental Division at UN Women, warned that the growing number of conflicts worldwide was worsening conditions for women and girls.

More than 185 conflicts were recorded globally in 2025, including 65 state-based conflicts, Hendriks said.

"Wars are multiplying; the ways that wars are fought are changing, and it is women and girls who are paying the price," she added.

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