😔 Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls

Westminster Hall

🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️

The parliamentary session focused on the devastating impact of conflicts on women and girls worldwide, highlighting regions like Sudan, Afghanistan, and Gaza. MPs unanimously condemned the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and stressed the need for international action to protect women and girls in conflict zones. The UK’s commitment to supporting women’s rights and peacebuilding was reaffirmed, with promises to continue funding and advocating for women-led organizations and peace processes. The session underscored the urgent need for global leadership and increased aid to address these critical issues effectively.

Summary

  • Global Impact on Women and Girls: The debate emphasized the severe impact of conflicts worldwide on women and girls, with an estimated 612 million living within 50 km of a conflict zone in 2023, a significant increase since 2015.

  • Forms of Impact: The conflicts lead to various forms of suffering including sexual violence, educational disruption, increased mortality rates, and displacement. Specific impacts include a 50% rise in sexual violence cases and half of the displaced being women and girls.

  • Health and Education: Conflict zones see heightened risks for women and girls, such as lack of access to healthcare, increased hunger, and targeted attacks on girls’ education, with over a quarter of out-of-school girls living in conflict-affected areas.

  • Regional Focus: Particular attention was given to situations in Sudan and Afghanistan. In Sudan, there are reports of widespread gender-based violence and mass rape, while in Afghanistan, the Taliban’s actions have led to what has been described as gender apartheid.

  • International and UK Response: Calls were made for the UK and international community to lead in protecting women in conflict zones, including through aid, peacebuilding, and holding perpetrators accountable. The debate highlighted the importance of women

Divisiveness

The session on the ‘Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls’ displayed very little disagreement among participants. Throughout the transcript, there was a consistent theme of consensus and collaborative discussion on the issue at hand. The speakers from various parties, including Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrats, DUP, and Green, all expressed similar concerns and views about the severe impact of conflicts on women and girls, with no significant points of contention or opposition to the main arguments presented. The focus was primarily on highlighting the plight of women and girls in conflict zones, discussing the current situation, and proposing solutions without any notable disputes. Both the Minister and the shadow Minister reinforced the commitment to address these issues, indicating bipartisan support and agreement on the need for action.