UN: Share of women among killed civilians has doubled since 2021, confirmed cases of sexual violence have doubled

UN Women data for 2025

Women and girls are increasingly becoming victims of armed conflicts: their share among killed civilians has doubled since 2021, and the number of confirmed cases of conflict-related sexual violence has risen sharply. Representatives of the UN structure UN Women announced this on Monday, October 26, Anadolu reports.

Figures and statements

UN Women Deputy Executive Director Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda reported that in 2025 more than 37,000 civilians were killed in armed conflicts; women and girls accounted for every fourth death — twice their share in 2021. According to her, at least 25 women and girls were killed every day, and more than 750 million women lived within 50 kilometers of an armed conflict zone. She called the conflicts 'preventable' and noted that some of them 'have disappeared from our screens, but not from the lives of the women and girls who experience them.'

Sexual violence and the rising number of conflicts

Gumbonzvanda also reported a sharp increase in conflict-related sexual violence: in 2025 the UN confirmed 9,788 cases — more than double the figure for 2024 and almost four times higher than in 2022. 'Women pay the price of war,' she said. Sarah Hendriks, director of the policy and programmes division at UN Women, added that in 2025 more than 185 conflicts were recorded worldwide, including 65 involving states, and that the ways wars are waged are changing. She warned that the growing number of conflicts worsens conditions for women and girls.

UN appeals

UN Women called on governments and the international community to end armed conflicts, protect civilians, uphold international law and hold those responsible for abuses accountable. The organization also advocated for including women as decision-makers in all peace negotiations and for increasing funding for women-led organizations engaged in saving lives and building peace.