According to the UN’s data, of at least 33,443 civilian deaths recorded in conflicts around the world in 2023 – 72 percent more than in 2022 – four out of 10 were women, a 100 percent increase, and three out of 10 were children.

UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous said the trends were part “of a larger war on women.” “Women continue to pay the price of the wars of men,” she said.

In 2023, more than 170 armed conflicts were recorded, with around 612 million women and girls living within 50 kilometers (30 miles) of these conflicts – 150 percent more than a decade ago, the report said.

The number of cases of sexual violence against women in those conflict zones increased by 50 percent, the UN’s data showed, with the number of girls affected by “grave violations” in active conflict areas increasing by 35 percent. “Perpetrators of sexual violence still largely enjoy impunity,” the report said. “In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, more than 123,000 cases of gender-based violence were reported in 2023, a 300 percent increase in only three years.”

“Power and decision-making on peace and security matters remain overwhelmingly dominated by men, and progress has been disturbingly slow in terms of ending impunity for those who perpetrate atrocities against women and girls,” the report said.