Almost one in five women globally were living within 50 kilometres of a deadly conflict event in 2025, according to a new report from the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO).
The number of women living in conflict zones has nearly tripled since 1990, as violence spreads and becomes increasingly protracted. The epicenter of this crisis is in sub-Saharan Africa where one-third now live, and where the number has increased fivefold since 2010. At the same time, millions of women are trapped in conflicts that have lasted for years – with 8.8% of women in sub-Saharan Africa living in areas affected by conflict for more than a decade.
Published as global conflict reaches its highest level in decades, the report finds that the burden of today's wars is increasingly borne by women – not only through direct exposure to violence, but through deteriorating access to healthcare, education, livelihoods and security. While conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza dominate international attention, violence is escalating across parts of Africa with far less global visibility.
"Conflict today is reaching more women than at any point since the end of the Cold War," said Siri Aas Rustad, Research Director at PRIO and author of the report. "These figures are more than a measure of violence – they reflect millions of lives shaped by insecurity, disrupted healthcare, lost education and fewer opportunities."
The analysis shows that conflict is not only becoming more widespread but also more entrenched. Countries with the highest levels of conflict exposure also score substantially lower on the global Women, Peace and Security Index, underlining the close relationship between insecurity and women's wellbeing.
The report also points to a troubling international backdrop. As conflict has spread, new United Nations peacekeeping missions have become increasingly rare, development assistance has fallen sharply, and arms transfers to some conflict-affected regions have increased. Together, these trends risk deepening instability at a time when women's needs are growing most acute. “Reversing these trends will require renewed international commitment to conflict prevention, peacekeeping and multilateral cooperation. Without stronger action, the number of women living in the shadow of war is likely to continue rising,” warned Rustad.
For more information or to arrange an interview
- Contact Michelle Delaney, Communication Director at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) | michelle@prio.org | mobile 0047 941 65 579.
- Click to download the full report, ‘Women exposed to Armed Conflict, 1990-2025’
- The estimates in this report are based on the Uppsala Conflict Data Program’s (UCDP) Georeferenced Events Dataset, combined with population data from the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) and the UN World Population Prospects 2025.
