Guterres Warns Women’s Peace Role Is Going in Reverse

The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) hosts a workshop on key peace and security issues for Yei women and youth. (file)

More women must have a role in shaping peace agreements, security reforms, and post-conflict recovery plans, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on Monday.

Members met for their annual open debate on the women, peace, and security agenda, just ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Council’s landmark resolution 1325 (2000) on the issue.

As the Secretary-General noted, the resolution “gave voice to a simple truth: women’s leadership is central to just and lasting peace,” in addition to inspiring countless other resolutions, reports, and roundtables.

“But let’s speak frankly,” he said. “Too often, we gather in rooms like this one – full of conviction and commitment – only to fall short when it comes to real change in the lives of women and girls caught in conflict.”

In a recent report, Mr. Guterres highlighted progress made over the past quarter century, including more than 100 countries adopting national action plans on women, peace, and security.

“But gains are fragile and – very worryingly – going in reverse,” he warned.
“Around the globe, we see troubling trends in military spending, more armed conflicts, and more shocking brutality against women and girls.”

Last year, around 676 million women worldwide lived within 50 kilometres of deadly conflict events – the highest number in decades, he said.

Sexual violence also surged, with a 35 per cent rise in incidents against girls. In some places, they accounted for nearly half of all victims.

Mr. Guterres highlighted how women in public life – such as politicians, journalists, and human rights defenders – are being targeted with violence and harassment, before turning to the situation in Afghanistan, where “the systematic erasure of women and girls from public life is in overdrive.”

Additionally, women and girls in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Sudan, Haiti, Myanmar, and beyond face grave risks and horrific levels of violence.

“And while women’s organizations remain lifelines for millions in crisis, they are being starved of resources,” he added, citing a recent survey by UN Women, which champions gender equality globally.

It revealed that 90 per cent of local women-led groups in conflict settings are in dire financial straits, with nearly half expected to shut down within six months.

The Secretary-General urged UN Member States to accelerate commitments on women, peace, and security in line with the Pact for the Future adopted last year. He outlined key areas for action, including ramping up funding for women’s organizations in conflict-affected countries.

He also stressed the need for greater participation by women who “must be at the table – not as tokens, but as equal partners,” as well as accountability for perpetrators of gender-based violence, including conflict-related sexual violence.

Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women, said the 25th anniversary of resolution 1325 “must be more than a commemoration.”

“Women and girls who live amidst conflict deserve more than commemoration,” she said. “It must instead be a moment to refocus, recommit, and ensure that the next 25 years deliver much more than the last.”

She noted that the meeting was taking place against the backdrop of the war in Gaza, where “a glimmer of hope emerges,” and welcomed the positive responses to US President Donald J. Trump’s plan to end the fighting.

Looking ahead to the next 25 years for the women, peace, and security agenda, Ms. Bahous told the Council it was crucial to ensure more dedicated funding, robust quotas, and stronger accountability “that make failures visible.”