Remarks by Anna Mutavati, UN Women Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, on Sudan’s war on women and girls, as conflict enters fourth year
This is a summary of what was said by Anna Mutavati, UN Women Regional Director for East and Southern Africa – to whom quoted text may be attributed - at today's press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva
[As delivered.]
Geneva, 14 April 2026 - As we enter a fourth year of war in Sudan, it is important that we be clear about what this means for women and girls. Because, ultimately, this is a war on them.
Widespread killings, mass displacement, and, most definingly, the use of sexual violence, have been embedded in the blueprint of Sudan's war.
These atrocities have been compounded by blockades and continued instability. And they are being carried out with widespread impunity.
More than 17 million women and girls need humanitarian assistance this year. More than 4.3 million women and girls remain displaced inside the country.
There is no safety in displacement, which has further exposed women and girls to violence, including rape, abduction, and killing. Women and girls have been targeted as they flee, search for food and water, or as theytry to reach healthcare.
UN Women has today published a new Gender Alert, highlighting that sexual violence has continued to surge across Sudan, with the number of women and girls requiring support for gender-based violence nearly doubling in the past two years and quadrupling since the start of the war three years ago.
Two-thirds of women frontline responders surveyed by UN Women reported a significant increase in sexual violence in 2025, and half reported further escalation in 2026.
Sexual violence as a tactic of war is being used to inflict terror, humiliation, pain, and control over women and girls, and to oppress entire populations. There are documented cases of rape in front of family members, often accompanied with other forms of severe physical abuse, as well as violence against those attempting to intervene.
Women and girls are living in conditions that are increasingly incompatible with basic survival. For many, especially in active conflict areas, there is no access to food, no access to shelter, or healthcare due to ongoing blockades and fighting.
One woman working in West Kordofan told us: “In Babanusa, we have a medical centre which has only two rooms – one room for delivery and one room for consultations. However, most of the women arrive dead at the medical centre because it is too far to reach.”
Some 13.6 million women and girls need food and livelihoods support this year. Women are reporting going without food for days and nights at a time. The risk of famine persists in Darfur and Kordofan.
I have met survivors of these atrocities, including a young girl carrying an unwanted pregnancy following rape when her village was attacked by armed men; a 45-year-old woman who suffered horrific violence under siege in Al Dilling in South Kordofan last year; and a 25-year-old woman who survived the El Fasher siege.
Another equally defining feature of this war, is the role of Sudanese women in the humanitarian response and local peace efforts.
They are on the frontlines, delivering lifesaving support to other women and to their communities. They are working in women-led organizations that are running community kitchens, supporting survivors, and helping displaced families find shelter.
Women are also leading local peace efforts, including mediating disputes, countering hate speech, and negotiating humanitarian access to keep the much-needed aid coming in.
But these efforts are under strain. Most women-led organizations face severe funding shortages and insecurity. UN Women is working across Sudan with more than 45 of these organizations, delivering protection, psychosocial support, and essential supplies, while supporting women’s leadership in the response.
Despite their leadership, Sudanese women remain largely excluded from formal peace processes and decision-making spaces. Their full, equal, and meaningful participation is essential to any sustainable path toward de-escalation and peace.
It should be clear that there can be no recovery while women continue to be invisible, excluded, and underfunded. The international community must act now too, matching the courage and leadership demonstrated by women in Sudan.
We call for the protection of women and girls; we call for accountability for sexual violence and other violations; a significant increase in direct funding to women-led organizations; and women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation in all peace processes
Three years of war in Sudan: What you need to know
A devastating crisis is unfolding for women and girls – driven by conflict, violence, famine, and displacement, and compounded by lack of access to basic services.
Explore the latest analysis, data, and updates.
