Women exposed to armed conflict, 1990–2024

The report finds that 676 million women, or 17% of the global female population, lived within 50 km of a deadly conflict event in 2024, more than doubling the number since 1990. It highlights that while high-intensity conflicts gain more media attention, medium-intensity protracted conflicts are strongly correlated with lower Human Development Index (HDI) scores. The brief identifies Bangladesh as having the highest absolute number of women exposed to conflict, while 100% of women in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel/Palestine were affected. Using Nigeria as a case study, it demonstrates significant subnational variation in conflict intensity and types of violence, including state-based, communal, and criminal violence.

• In 2024, an estimated 676 million women, representing approximately 17% of the global female population, lived within 50 km of a deadly conflict event. This figure is the highest recorded since the 1990s and represents more than double the number of women exposed in 1990.
• Conflict exposure varies by intensity: in 2024, approximately 245 million women lived in conflict zones with more than 25 battle-related deaths, and 113 million lived in zones with over 100 such deaths.
• Geographic distribution of exposure varies significantly; Bangladesh had the highest absolute number of women living near conflict in 2024. In Syria, Lebanon, and Israel/Palestine, 100% of the female population lived within 50 km of a deadly event.
• There is a strong negative correlation between the proportion of women living in conflict zones and a country's Human Development Index (HDI). Medium-intensity conflicts (2,500 to 5,000 battle-related deaths), often characterized as protracted, tend to score significantly lower on the HDI than high-intensity conflicts.
• Protracted medium-intensity conflicts are exacerbated by a decline in foreign aid, specifically the withdrawal of USAID, which threatens infrastructure and may increase recruitment into rebel groups.
• Subnational analysis of Nigeria reveals diverse conflict drivers and intensities: the northeast is impacted by Boko Haram and the Islamic State (IS), the southwest by the criminal organization Black Axe, and the South-South region by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Borno State experiences the highest intensity, with half of the women in conflict zones exposed to over 100 battle-related deaths.

APA

Rustad, S. A. (2025). Women exposed to armed conflict, 1990–2024. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/3fa012c5-d69e-4930-962a-3e4a5a896834/GPS Policy Brief 4 2025.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Rustad, Siri Aas. Women exposed to armed conflict, 1990–2024. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2025. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/3fa012c5-d69e-4930-962a-3e4a5a896834/GPS Policy Brief 4 2025.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Rustad |first1=Siri Aas |title=Women exposed to armed conflict, 1990–2024 |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=April 2025 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/3fa012c5-d69e-4930-962a-3e4a5a896834/GPS Policy Brief 4 2025.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rustad2025women, author = {Rustad, Siri Aas}, title = {{Women exposed to armed conflict, 1990–2024}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2025}, month = apr, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/3fa012c5-d69e-4930-962a-3e4a5a896834/GPS Policy Brief 4 2025.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }