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As the war in Ukraine continues into its third year, the humanitarian toll on civilians, especially women and girls, remains severe. As delegates of the European Women’s Lobby, we express our deep concern at the ongoing war in Ukraine and its devastating impact on civilians, particularly women and girls. We stand in unwavering solidarity with the women of Ukraine, who continue to bear displacement, poverty, insecurity, and violence, and we call for sustained and coordinated international efforts to ensure that peace, human rights, humanitarian assistance, and gender equality are at the heart of all responses.
As of 2024, data shows that approximately 14.6 million people are estimated to require humanitarian assistance, with 56% of those in need being women and girls. This gendered impact is further underscored by the displacement crisis, where 56% of the 3.7 million internally displaced persons are women and girls. The prolonged conflict has also led to widespread economic disruption: more than 20 million people have lost their livelihoods since the start of the war, and 72% of those currently registered as unemployed are women. In total, over 8 million women and girls in Ukraine required humanitarian assistance in 2024 alone.
The war has severely disrupted access to early childhood education. Recent data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) shows that one in five children aged 3-5 are not attending preschool, largely due to safety concerns and war-related closures. Nationally, 21% of preschool-aged children are not enrolled in kindergarten, with much higher rates among IDPs (30%) and children residing in frontline regions (37%). The primary barriers to attendance cited by parents include closed facilities (38%), the absence of adequate protective shelters (23%), and insufficient capacity in available institutions (16%).
In light of these realities, the European Women’s Lobby calls on EU leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, European Council President António Costa, and EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, to maintain and strengthen their committed support for peace and humanitarian aid in Ukraine.
The EWL further urges the international community, particularly the United Nations General Assembly, the UN Security Council, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres, to fully uphold the principles enshrined in the UN Charter and to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) and the broader Women, Peace and Security agenda in all peacebuilding, humanitarian, and reconstruction processes. Women must be recognised as essential actors in Ukraine’s recovery – not as passive recipients of aid, but as equal agents of freedom, peace, justice, and societal rebuilding.
