Armed conflict does more than increase violence against women. It systematically disrupts the delivery of women’s rights by destroying institutions, weakening legal protections, and undermining their access to health, education and economic opportunity. Reproductive, maternal and mental health services also deteriorate rapidly during armed conflict. Such narratives obscure the reality that conflict restricts rather than advances women’s rights. This year’s International Women’s Day should, therefore, prompt a broader recognition of how war undermines gender equality and halts the delivery of women’s rights in fundamental ways.

Source: The Telegraph March 08, 2026 02:38 UTC