Women suffer disproportionally in conflict zones, enduring violence, displacement and systemic erasure, as highlighted in global reports ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November. The World Health Organisation reveals how one in three women worldwide face violence, with rates surging in war-torn areas.
In 2023, women accounted for 40% of civilian casualties in armed conflicts, double the percentage from the previous year. The number of children who lost their lives in these conflicts tripled, reaching 30% of the total civilian deaths, according to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in his annual report on the protection of civilians in war zones.
In Syria, where conflict has raged since 2011, at least 16,442 women have been killed, and 10,205 detained or disappeared, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights. Their report, published in April, attributes 83% of disappearances to the Syrian government.
Palestinian women are among those most affected by the Gaza conflict since October 2023, making up 70% of casualties alongside children. Survivors face displacement, hunger and mental health crises. UN data indicates that by April 2024, 17,000 children had been orphaned.
Similarly, Lebanese women have faced hardships since September 2023 when clashes between Israel and Hezbollah displaced over a million people. UN Women estimated, in an October report, that 520,000 women from Lebanon have been affected, including 11,000 who are pregnant and in urgent need of care.
In Iraq, patriarchal norms exacerbate sex-based violence, with proposed legal amendments threatening to lower the marriage age to nine. In Yemen, 76% of displaced people are women, with many at risk of sexual violence, according to the UN.
Sudan’s ongoing conflict has seen women subjected to widespread sexual violence, including forced marriages and slavery. Human rights campaigns recorded 505 cases of sexual violence by July 2024, with millions of women at risk.
In Iran and Kurdish regions, women activists face crackdowns following protests for gender equality. Afghan women endure systemic erasure under Taliban rule, with bans on education and work worsening their plight.
