Our Women, Peace and Security Conflict Tracker combines real-time data points and original analysis to offer gender-sensitive insight into conflict dynamics across 25 countries. The WPS Conflict Tracker is updated monthly to reflect developments for women’s participation, protection, prevention, and relief and recovery. This mailing blast highlights select updates. To see the complete analysis across all 25 countries monitored, please visit the WPS Conflict Tracker website.
Spotlight: Conflict risks in the Middle East
Although a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Iran on June 24, 2025, tensions in the Middle East remain fraught. The risk of expanded regional conflict poses an urgent and continued threat to women. On June 18, 2025, Israel struck Iranian nuclear targets and military and scientific leadership, prompting Iran to launch retaliatory strikes on Israel and the US to bomb three Iranian nuclear sites on June 22, 2025. Nearly 600 people have been killed in Iran and 24 in Israel since the start of hostilities, according to both countries’ respective authorities. Women in Iran faced particular challenges during airstrikes, including a lack of air raid sirens and adequate bomb shelters. Israel also struck Iran’s Evin Prison, which houses arrested women’s rights defenders and political prisoners, including Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammad. Any further attacks on nuclear facilities also risk releasing radiation, which poses greater health risks to women than men.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also invoked women’s repression and Iran’s Woman, Life, Freedom movement when calling for regime change in Iran. While women in Iran do face morality restrictions, including mandatory veiling, the co-opting of their rights as justification for external aggression threatens to set back Iran’s grassroots women’s movement by associating it with a foreign power. Four imprisoned women activists issued a letter cautioning Iranians against dependence on foreign powers for regime change. This perceived association could also expose women leaders and their male allies to harsher surveillance and punishment by state authorities. Furthermore, the aftermath of this conflict—and any future violence—threaten to overshadow women’s repression and gender backlash in Iran and the region.
Expanded conflict between Israel and Iran would also risk drawing in neighboring states. If Iranian allies—including the Houthis in Yemen, the Popular Mobilisation Forces in Iraq, and Hezbollah in Lebanon—were to become involved, they risk exposing civilians to airstrikes, economic sanctions, and impediments to aid deliveries upon which women and girls disproportionately rely. Airspace closures already impacted humanitarian response in settings like Yemen, where 9.6 million women and girls rely on aid. These ripple effects were also felt in Afghanistan, driving up the prices of goods and fuel and putting women and girls at greater risk of food insecurity. The restarting of conflict between Israel and Iran or its proxies also risks distracting from continued suffering in Gaza, where 28,000 women and girls have been killed. Any worsening of hostilities would rapidly compound these threats.
Spotlight: US Travel Ban impacts nine WPS Conflict Tracker countries
The Trump administration’s new travel ban on twelve countries took effect on June 9, 2025, impacting nine countries monitored by the WPS Conflict Tracker: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. The ban—whose stated purpose is to protect US national security—is likely to disproportionately impact women and girls from affected countries. The travel ban prevents women and girls from fleeing deadly violence and brutal repression, as well as accessing educational and employment opportunities in the US. Afghan girls accepted to US colleges now face uncertainty as to whether or not they can attend, or if they will be forced to return to living under Taliban rule, which bars them from higher education. The travel ban may also prevent women from targeted countries from reaching vital forums to advocate for women’s needs and make their voices heard. Although there are exemptions for some travelers, the ban may have a chilling effect on women’s willingness to travel to the US or risk exposing women from targeted countries to greater scrutiny and harassment when arriving at US ports of entry. For women and girls already living within the US, this ban will also now inhibit family reunification, as demonstrated by recent cases affecting families from Myanmar and Iran. These dynamics may exacerbate economic insecurity for women-headed households. As of June 23, 2025, a further 36 countries are now at risk of a US travel ban, including six more monitored by the WPS Conflict Tracker: the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Niger, Nigeria, South Sudan, and Syria.
Risks & Opportunities
The WPS Conflict Tracker analyzes and identifies current risks and opportunities—including new developments, upcoming events, or looming threats—for women in the 25 conflict-affected settings we monitor. Updates for June 2025 include:
Afghanistan
- The US has suspended arrivals from Afghanistan and terminated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghans starting July 14, 2025, while Pakistan plans to forcibly return up to 3 million Afghan refugees. These measures force women to return to persecution and repression by the Taliban, as well as expose women and girls to trauma, harassment, and violence during immigration raids.
- Women in Afghanistan face a 76 percent disparity compared to men’s outcomes in health, education, finances, and decision-making, according to the most in-depth survey of women’s status since the Taliban seized power in August 2021. Afghan women reach only 17.3 percent of their potential to exercise their rights and decision making power–3.5 times less than the global average for women.
Central African Republic
- Gender-based violence, particularly rape, is widespread yet increasingly underreported due to reduced funding for support services. This trend illustrates the toll of foreign aid cuts, which sever women and girls from vital support and obscure upticks in violence. Conflict and humanitarian need drive this surge, with women and girls at greatest risk while completing tasks—like firewood and water collection—necessary for survival.
Colombia
- The Jurisdicción Especial para la Paz (JEP)—a transitional justice body responsible for investigating and prosecuting conflict-related violations—issued 25 urgent measures to protect and ensure the survival of Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities facing physical and cultural extermination in the Cauca and Valle del Cauca departments. Key concerns include systematic violence against women and the targeting of rights defenders and community figures. Women leaders continue to be attacked and killed for their work.
- A new bill that would provide support to children of femicide victims—including livelihood assistance, free mental health services, and funeral support—passed Congress and is now expected to be signed into law by the Colombian President. Femicide in the country reached a seven-year high in 2024 with 886 reported deaths. According to the Colombian Observatory of Femicides, 579 deaths have already been recorded in 2025.
The Democratic Republic of Congo
- The governments of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda—thought to be backing the M23 rebel group—are set to sign a Peace Agreement at the ministerial level on June 27, 2025, to end hostilities, disarm non-state militant groups, and facilitate the return of refugees. This is an opportunity to curtail fighting, which has disproportionately harmed women and girls.
- Although it is unclear if any women have been involved in negotiations thus far, the agreement and possible recovery process are a chance to include women peacebuilders and address the needs of women and girls. Cases of sexual violence have surged due to fighting, while one quarter of the country is facing acute food insecurity. Women and girls, including pregnant and breastfeeding women, face particular risk of malnutrition and starvation.
Haiti
- As gang violence surges in Haiti and continues to displace more than one million people, women who flee violence are at heightened risk of gender-based crimes and deportation. Immigration agents have reportedly raped Haitian women and demanded sex in order for women to avoid being forcibly returned from the Dominican Republic to Haiti. Haitian women also report being afraid to access lifesaving healthcare due to the risk of being identified and deported. A record 25,000 people were forcibly returned to Haiti from the Dominican Republic in May 2025 alone.
Iraq
- Iraq launched its Third National Action Plan for Women, Peace and Security for 2025 – 2030. Twelve key efforts were identified, including increasing women’s representation in the political, judicial, and security sectors; strengthening women’s involvement in conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and security; and providing socioeconomic and psychological support to women impacted by violence. Kurdistan also launched the second Regional Action Plan for Implementation of the UNSCR 1329 for 2025 – 2029.
Kosovo
- Kosovo’s president is expected to announce a new Presidential Commission for Transitional Justice to investigate violations—including sexual violence—perpetrated during the 1998 – 1999 war. Although this commission may enable further recognition and accountability for crimes against women and girls, there is concern about the potential retraumatization of survivors and the exacerbation of present-day ethnic tensions.
Nigeria
- Nigeria has the highest number of people facing emergency levels of food security in the world, with pregnant and breastfeeding women disproportionately impacted. Key drivers include armed conflict and extreme weather. The country faces continued violence—including farmer-herder conflicts, religiously motivated massacres, and rising extremist violence by groups like Boko Haram—and continued climate change events, like deadly flooding in late May 2025. The Trans Niger oil pipeline has also burst this year, exposing women in Ogoniland to additional health risks and polluting local food sources.
Myanmar
- Myanmar’s economy could contract by 2.5 percent, largely due to the March 28, 2025, earthquake, according to the World Bank. Women face disproportionate financial impacts, with female-headed households more likely to face economic scarcity than those headed by men. The situation is especially dire for ethnic minorities, with 80 percent of the Rohingya population already living in poverty. Compounding these challenges, the termination of USAID programs has created a $259 million funding gap, eliminating crucial support for women-led organizations that provide gender-based violence prevention, education, healthcare, and civic engagement services needed to respond to both armed conflict and the earthquake.
Ukraine
- Russian forces deployed a record number of drones against Ukraine, resulting in civilian casualties that include women and children. On June 17, 2025, Kyiv experienced the most devastating drone strike since the invasion began. The summer offensive into Ukraine threatens to worsen humanitarian need, exacerbating an already severe displacement crisis disproportionately impacting women and girls.
- As Ukraine and Russia continue prisoner exchanges, Ukrainian women are leading efforts to identify their relatives thought to be missing or imprisoned in battle. Using Telegram, women are helping to identify Ukrainian soldiers in Russian videos and organizing informal groups to search for missing persons. These initiatives expedite the process of identifying prisoners of war—crucial given more than 60,000 people remain missing since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
In The News
In Blockaded Gaza, Women Face a Growing Crisis of Period Poverty by Tamara Davison for More to Her Story
This article highlights the choice women and girls in Gaza must make between period dignity and food under Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid, with some women now forced to barter menstrual products for food to feed their children. Approximately 690,000 menstruating women and girls in Gaza are experiencing a severe crisis of period poverty, with inadequate menstrual supplies putting them at risk of infections and other diseases. Up to 92 percent of pregnant women are now suffering from urinary tract infections and 76 percent from anemia. The soaring price of menstrual pads—up by 80 percent—and a collapsed banking system now force women to create makeshift pads from t-shirts and other materials, rather than purchasing premade ones that are more sanitary. Organizations like Reemi have attempted to provide safe, reusable period products, but Israeli restrictions have severely limited aid delivery. The article quotes one Gazan woman: “It’s an inconvenient time to be a woman, to be honest. Not that it has ever been a convenient one.”
The New Global Struggle Over Gender, Rights, and Family Values by Saskia Brechenmacher for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
This piece examines the global backlash against women’s and LGBTQ+ rights, arguing this cross-national trend is rooted in a shared depiction of liberal gender norms as threatening to national culture and identity. Despite regional and country-specific variations on how this backlash manifests and which groups it targets, the underlying pattern remains consistent across diverse settings. Anti-gender movements have gained momentum globally through legislative rollbacks, increasing violence against activists, and growing opposition to gender equality in international institutions. Key drivers include socioeconomic changes, cultural shifts, and strategic efforts of ultra-conservative movements and far-right leaders to fuel the backlash. The report outlines current responses from advocates and concludes with four recommendations: develop strategic responses to confrontation, improve messaging to reach diverse audiences, build locally-rooted campaigns, and meaningfully engage men in gender equality work.
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