Annual report on Women, Peace and Security says one in four civilians killed in conflict were women and girls

27 October 2026

The United Nations Secretary-General's annual report on Women, Peace and Security finds that women and girls accounted for one in four of the more than 37,000 civilians killed in armed conflict last year, double their share in 2021, and that at least 25 women and girls are killed every day in conflict settings. It says 750 million women and girls now live within 50 kilometres of an active conflict, 40 million more than in 2024 and more than at any time since 1990. The United Nations verified 9,788 cases of conflict related sexual violence in 2025, and women made up just five per cent of negotiators across 57 peace processes. UN Women Deputy Executive Director Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda presented the report at UN Headquarters in New York, and UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous said more women and girls are trapped in wars than at any point in decades.