War negatively affects every person, including men, women, and non-binary genders. Although we have access to only few sex-disaggregated data on the extent to which armed conflicts have repercussions on gender discriminations, it is possible to say that the short and long-term socio-economic effects of wars fall disproportionately on women. As evidenced by field data recently released by the United Nations (UN) Women about the ongoing Ukrainian crisis, 54% of people in need of assistance are women, and these numbers are expected to keep increasing.

In this context, the article aims – without wishing to be exhaustive – to analyse the issue of armed conflicts’ impact on gender, with a specific focus on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) during as well as in a post-war context. Furthermore, it will also address women’s inclusion within peacebuilding processes and its associated benefits. Finally, the article will present some specific recommendations to governments, policymakers, and civil societies in order to reduce the negative gender impacts of wars and armed conflicts.

In fact, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s 2021 Working Paper on Gender Equality and Fragility, the amount of dedicated humanitarian, developmental, or peacekeeping/building resources that reach these fragile contexts where gender inequality is deeply rooted, is often inadequate. While it is clear that is essential to achieve gender equality within fragile contexts, resources must be appropriately mobilised to meet these needs.

Read the full article here.