Have Women Become the Hidden Targets in Today’s Wars?

In 2023, armed conflicts took a sharply more gendered turn. According to the latest report by the UN Secretary-General on Women, Peace and Security, the proportion of women killed in armed conflicts doubled compared to the previous year. Women accounted for 40% of all conflict-related deaths, a shocking figure that challenges long-held assumptions that men alone bear the brunt of warfare.

What is being observed across war-torn regions is not collateral damage; it’s a gendered war. Women and girls are not only caught in the crossfire; they are being specifically and disproportionately impacted, through death, displacement, sexual violence, and systemic exclusion from peace efforts.

A Grim Picture: War and Women in 2023

From Gaza to Sudan, from Ukraine to Yemen, the conditions facing women in conflict zones have worsened alarmingly:

·         Conflict-related sexual violence cases verified by the UN rose by 50%.

·         500 women and girls die daily in war-affected countries from pregnancy or childbirth complications.

·         180 women per day gave birth in war-ravaged Gaza, most without basic medical care.

·         Women negotiators accounted for only 9.6% in peace processes worldwide.

Despite being disproportionately affected, women remain largely invisible in solutions. Over two decades since the landmark UN Security Council Resolution 1325 was adopted, calling for women’s full participation in peacebuilding, the gap between rhetoric and reality has never been more pronounced.

Table 1: Key Statistics – Women in Conflict Zones (2022 vs. 2023)

Indicator	2022	2023	Change (%)
Proportion of conflict-related female deaths	20%	40%	100%
Verified sexual violence cases (UN)	~1,200	~1,800	50%
Maternal deaths in war zones (daily average)	480	500	4.20%
Female participation in peace negotiations	13.30%	9.60%	-27.80%

Gender-Based Violence as a Weapon of War

Women are not only dying in greater numbers; they are being deliberately targeted. The rise in conflict-related sexual violence, from rape to forced marriages, points to a grim strategy where gender is weaponized. These acts are not just crimes against individuals but efforts to fracture entire communities by violating women’s bodies and dignity.

The deliberate destruction of healthcare facilities, the criminalization of humanitarian aid, and the obstruction of access to sexual and reproductive health services all amount to structural violence that disproportionately affects women and girls.

Neglected and Undervalued: Women Peacebuilders

The tragedy is not only that women suffer most in war, but also that they are excluded from the table when peace is negotiated. In 2023, fewer than one in ten peace negotiators were women, despite decades of global commitments to increase the participation of women.

Research shows that peace agreements involving women are 35% more likely to last at least 15 years.

Examples from the ground reinforce this:

·         In Yemen, women negotiators ensured safe civilian access to water.

·         In Sudan, 49 women-led organizations pushed for an inclusive peace process, largely ignored by formal talks.

This exclusion isn’t just unjust, it’s strategically unwise. Women’s participation is essential for durable peace, yet their efforts remain unsupported.

Table 2: Global Spending Comparison (2023)

Category	Spending	Percentage of Global Total
Global military expenditure	$2.44 trillion	100%
Aid to women’s rights organizations	~$7.3 billion	0.30%
Humanitarian funding for GBV response	~$2.4 billion	<1%

The disparity is staggering. While the world spends trillions on warfare, gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and women’s peacebuilding efforts are starved of funds. This reveals a systemic undervaluing of women’s lives and leadership in crisis.

The Road to 2025: A Crucial Turning Point

In 2025, the world will mark 30 years since the Beijing Platform for Action, the most ambitious global blueprint for women’s rights. But with the current trajectory, these promises are ringing hollow.

If global leaders are serious about gender equality, especially in conflict zones, then:

·         Funding must shift toward women-led organizations.

·         Women must be central to every peace negotiation.

·         Gendered violence must be prosecuted with urgency.

·         Healthcare access for women in war zones must be protected as a right, not a privilege.

Conclusion: This War Isn’t Just on Borders, It’s on Women

The data is clear: war has become more deadly and more discriminatory for women. The "modern world war on women" is not just a metaphor; it is a devastating reality unfolding on battlefields, in maternity wards, and around negotiating tables where women's voices are still unwelcome.

As UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous warns, "If we do not stand up and demand change, the consequences will be felt for decades, and peace will remain elusive." In other words, the war on women must end, not only to protect women, but to save peace itself.

References

1.      UN Women. (2023). Report of the Secretary-General on Women, Peace and Security.

2.      UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). (2023). Gender-Based Violence in Humanitarian Settings.

3.      Peace Research Institute Oslo. (2023). Women and Peacebuilding Effectiveness Study.

4.      Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). (2023). Global Military Expenditure Report.

5.      Sima Bahous, UN Women Executive Director, statement on 22 October 2023