U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed has warned that violence against women and girls continues to be driven by war, militarization and deep-rooted inequality, urging governments worldwide to move beyond condemnation and take decisive action.
Speaking at a high-level meeting marking five years of the U.N. Group of Friends for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls, Mohammed said ongoing conflicts are exposing women and girls to severe and lasting harm.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women at United Nations Headquarters on Thursday.
The commission, established in 1946 by the United Nations Economic and Social Council, is the U.N.’s principal global body dedicated to promoting gender equality and advancing the rights and empowerment of women.
According to the United Nations, more than 4,500 cases of conflict-related sexual violence were verified in 2024, though the true number is believed to be far higher because of stigma, fear and collapsed reporting systems.
Mohammed pointed to troubling patterns in several crisis zones.
In Sudan, U.N. experts have reported widespread sexual violence and attacks on women human rights defenders. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a child is reported raped every 30 minutes, while in Haiti sexual violence against children has surged in recent years.
She stressed that women must be included in peace negotiations and political decision-making, warning that lasting peace cannot be achieved while women and girls remain excluded and unprotected.
In a related development, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said he was appalled by the growing impact of drone attacks on civilians in Sudan.
Türk cited reports that more than 200 civilians have been killed by drone strikes since March 4 in the Kordofan region and White Nile state.
“It is deeply troubling that despite multiple reminders, warnings and appeals, parties to the conflict continue to use increasingly powerful drones to deploy explosive weapons with wide-area impacts in populated areas,” he said.
Türk called on both sides in Sudan’s civil war to comply with international law, particularly the prohibition against targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure or carrying out indiscriminate attacks.
In West Kordofan, at least 152 civilians were reportedly killed in drone strikes by the Sudanese Armed Forces, including about 50 people when a market and hospital were hit.
Attacks on markets in Abu Zabad and Wad Banda on March 7 left at least 40 civilians dead, while a truck carrying civilians was struck by a drone on March 10, reportedly killing at least 50 people.
In South Kordofan, at least 39 civilians were reported killed in artillery shelling by the Rapid Support Forces and allied SPLM-North fighters between March 4 and 5, including 14 people in the state capital, Dilling.
Homes, schools, markets and health facilities were also damaged or destroyed in the attacks, worsening the humanitarian situation.
Türk also raised concern about the expansion of the conflict into White Nile state, where drone strikes by the Rapid Support Forces have intensified since March 4. A secondary school and a health clinic in Shukeiri village were hit on March 11, reportedly killing at least 17 civilians, including a health worker.
“It will soon be three full years since the senseless conflict in Sudan began, devastating millions of lives and livelihoods. Yet the violence, fueled by these new technologies of war, simply keeps spreading,” Türk said.
The 70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women opened Monday and will run through March 19. Delegates from U.N. member states, U.N. agencies and accredited nongovernmental organizations from around the world, including Nigeria, are attending.
This year’s priority theme focuses on strengthening access to justice for women and girls by promoting inclusive legal systems, eliminating discriminatory laws and addressing structural barriers.
