Women bear a disproportionate burden of war
Unseen toll of conflicts on sexual and reproductive health and rights Women bear a disproportionate and often overlooked burden of war. In today’s conflict zones, women are not only deliberately targeted through gender based violence but also suffer intensely from the collapse of vital systems that support their health and wellbeing. The consequences for their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are catastrophic yet routinely sidelined in humanitarian responses. The complexities of different types of conflicts demand nuanced attention to the layered ways in which war devastates women’s bodies, autonomy, and futures. The most visible manifestations of conflict on SRHR include, for instance, maternal deaths, attacks on health facilities, and the deliberate use of sexual violence as tactics of war. In Gaza over 55 000 pregnant women face urgent need for maternal healthcare, hundreds give birth each day in shelters or unsafe conditions, and neonatal and maternal deaths are cli
