A new report from UN Women, titled The Cost of War in Gaza on Women and Girls, documents that more than 38,000 women and girls were killed in Gaza between October 2023 and December 2025. This figure represents over half of the estimated 71,200 fatalities recorded by the Gaza Ministry of Health during Israel's military offensive, which began after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023.
The report notes that women, children, and older persons together account for more than half of all deaths, and the true toll is likely higher due to underreporting caused by the difficulty of recovering bodies from rubble and the collapse of health and reporting systems. Fatality peaks among women and children coincided with large-scale destruction of civilian infrastructure, particularly during the early phase of the war.
Disproportionate Impact on Women and Girls
Beyond fatalities, the report underscores how women and girls are disproportionately affected by the conflict. Sofia Calltorp, UN Women Chief of Humanitarian Action, told Euronews: 'What we're seeing is quite a large escalation of conflicts that we haven't experienced since the 1990s, and women and girls are specifically and disproportionately affected.' She added, 'Beyond the sheer violence, we have the collapse of the very system that women and girls depend on for their survival.'
The war has severely restricted access to sexual and reproductive health services, with many hospitals, maternity wards, and fertility clinics destroyed. UN Women describes this as 'systemic reproductive violence.' Despite a ceasefire agreement, only limited humanitarian aid has reached Gaza, and residents continue to face shortages of food, medicine, and menstrual hygiene products.
Rise in Women-Led Households
The conflict has drastically reshaped household structures. According to UN Women, over 58,600 households in Gaza are now led by women, roughly 14% of all households, compared to 9% in 2023. These women face immense burdens, including securing income, finding food, and caring for children and elderly relatives. Calltorp recalled a visit to a displacement centre in northern Gaza, where women were 'struggling from the very morning to the very end of the day.'
Women-headed households are more likely to be displaced and face significant barriers to housing and land rights. Calltorp noted that women often lack the same legal rights as men regarding property, citing a widow who faced extreme complications in claiming her land and house because it was tied to her deceased husband.
Over 1.9 million Palestinians—almost Gaza's entire population—have been displaced, often multiple times, and nearly 60% have lost their homes, according to a Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment by the World Bank, United Nations, and European Union. More than 50% of hospitals are non-functional, and nearly all schools have been destroyed or damaged. The loss of education exacerbates gender inequalities, reinforcing traditional roles and limiting future employment for girls.
UN Women is calling for the ceasefire to be implemented in full compliance with international law and human rights, along with immediate and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid. The broader regional context includes ongoing tensions, such as Trump's announcement of a three-week extension of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire and Spain's push to suspend the EU-Israel deal facing overwhelming opposition.
