War Is Becoming a Death Sentence for Women and Girls

Thirteen-year-old Mona still remembers the terrifying moment the second airstrike struck her family’s building in Gaza.

“We were sitting on the sixth floor when they hit the seventh floor — my uncle’s apartment,” she recalled. “My uncle’s wife was screaming, ‘My children! My children are gone!’ As I rushed to help her, they fired the second shell. That was when my mother and my siblings were killed.”

Mona survived the attack, but her mother, sister, and brother did not. The explosion destroyed their home and left her with life-changing injuries, including the loss of a leg.

Her story reflects the harsh reality facing millions of women and girls trapped in conflicts around the world today.

As the United Nations marks Protection of Civilians Week, global conflicts have reached their highest levels since 1946. Wars are becoming longer, deadlier, and increasingly fought in densely populated communities instead of distant battlefields.

Homes, schools, hospitals, and shelters are being destroyed, leaving civilians to bear the devastating consequences of violence.

Women and Girls Bearing the Greatest Burden

Although bombs do not discriminate between men and women, the impact of war often falls disproportionately on women and girls.

According to the United Nations, 37,000 civilians were killed across 20 armed conflicts in 2025, with women accounting for nearly one in every five deaths.

Women and girls are more likely to be displaced, forced out of school or employment, denied access to healthcare, and exposed to sexual violence, hunger, and extreme poverty.

As communities collapse around them, many women are left caring for children, elderly relatives, and injured family members while struggling to survive themselves.

In Gaza alone, by December 2025, approximately 38,000 women and girls had reportedly been killed during the conflict, even as ceasefire negotiations continued. Residential buildings accounted for more than 95 per cent of damaged infrastructure.

Rising Cases of Sexual Violence

The UN verified more than 9,300 cases of conflict-related sexual violence in 2025 — more than double the number recorded the previous year. Officials warn that the true figures are likely much higher, as many survivors never report abuse.

Women and girls represented more than 95 per cent of reported cases.

In Sudan, now entering its fourth year of conflict, the number of women and girls requiring support after experiencing gender-based violence has nearly doubled within two years and quadrupled since the war began.

Many women are being attacked in their homes or while searching for food, water, and medical assistance.

Displacement and Humanitarian Crisis

Conflict continues to drive mass displacement across the globe. By the end of 2024, more than 123 million people had been forcibly displaced due to war, violence, and persecution.

Women and girls fleeing conflict often face overcrowded shelters, separation from loved ones, exploitation, and repeated displacement.

In Gaza, the healthcare system has also been devastated. The UN reported that by December 2025, 94 per cent of hospitals had either been damaged or destroyed, forcing women to give birth without proper medical care while injured civilians struggled to access treatment.

Nearly 700,000 women and girls were reportedly unable to manage menstruation safely due to shortages of sanitary supplies and poor living conditions.

Beyond the physical suffering, the psychological impact remains severe. Women in countries such as Afghanistan, Ukraine, Gaza, and Lebanon continue to experience widespread depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, often with little or no access to mental health support.

Women Still Excluded From Peace Processes

Despite carrying much of the burden of survival during conflict, women remain significantly underrepresented in peace negotiations and political decision-making.

Globally, women make up only seven per cent of negotiators and 14 per cent of mediators in formal peace processes.

Yet across conflict zones, women continue to lead humanitarian and recovery efforts — operating community kitchens, supporting displaced families, rebuilding livelihoods, and advocating for peace.

The United Nations warns that without stronger protection, increased funding, and meaningful inclusion of women and girls in peacebuilding efforts, modern warfare will continue to deepen inequality and devastate already vulnerable generations.