Samira*, was three months pregnant when the current crisis broke out in Gaza after 7 October 2023. Forced to flee her home, and then the ‘safe zone’ she fled to on Israeli orders several times, she eventually settled on living in a UN school compound, alongside thousands of others escaping the same violence and for their lives. 

The Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association's healthcare worker in Gaza, Wafa, met Samira when she was also sheltering in the school. With little supplies but years of experience and expertise in maternal health, Wafa did her best to provide prenatal care to Samira. 

Despite Wafa’s best efforts, Samira lost her pregnancy to miscarriage the following week due to stress. According to healthworkers reports, there has been an increase in miscarriages of over 300% within the Gaza Strip since October last year. In that same six month period, 9,000 women have been killed, 60,000 pregnant women are malnourished and 5,000 women are forced to give birth monthly in harsh, unsafe and unhealthy conditions. 

The price of conflict on women and girls

When conflicts like this erupt, it's women and girls who face some of the most harrowing challenges imaginable. They endure unimaginable suffering, from sexual violence used as a weapon of war to being forced from their homes and denied access to basic needs like healthcare and education. 

What can we do to address these injustices? The answer lies in a concerted effort that spans governments, multilateral organisations, civil society movements, and local communities. Perpetrators of war crimes must face justice. This means bolstering legal frameworks, putting pressure on Member States, and breaking the cycle of impunity when breaches of international humanitarian law occur. 

Global bodies trusted with ensuring peace and security

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) plays a pivotal role in addressing conflict-related issues, including the protection of women and girls. It must prioritise these concerns in its deliberations and resolutions, ensuring that they are not sidelined but given the attention and resources they deserve.

Since the Gaza crisis broke out in October, the UNSC tried but failed four times to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. On 25 March this year, it succeeded in passing a resolution demanding ‘an immediate ceasefire’ - but limited to during the month Ramadan. 

Similarly, both the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and the Human Rights Council (HRC) have passed resolutions calling for a ceasefire, but they don't have the financial and military weight that the UNSC has behind it for enforcement.

Your voice matters for collective action for all our liberation

Multilateral decisions outside of the UNSC are only as good as the will of the Member States who voluntarily engage in them. They hold symbolic power - but civil society has a role to build political will with their Member States, and to hold their governments accountable for implementing their commitments. This is why civil society movements are so crucial for accountability and political will-building. 

Without the financial sanctions and military force that UNSC resolutions can depend upon for enforcement, resolutions calling for a ceasefire from the UN General Assembly last fall and the Human Rights Council in April represent global consensus condemning the attacks on civilians but lack the teeth needed for enforcement.

In circumstances such as these, civil society advocacy and activism at the national level are essential to influencing key U.N. Member States to change their positions.  We have already seen this influence the U.S. position to abstain (rather than block) the UNSC vote in March to permit a ceasefire resolution to pass for the first time. Our Member Associations all over the world conduct this type of advocacy and activist work to push governments and parliaments in taking actions.

Another key multilateral institution is the International Court of Justice (ICJ), who South Africa brought a case against Israel to on 26 January this year. This moment was a chance for the ICJ to pivot itself as a leading voice for the global south; and its subsequent order requiring Israel to prevent genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and prevent and punish incitement to commit genocide was a positive move towards accountability. 

Prioritising womens’ and girls’ lives over politics

On this International Day for Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace, let's recommit ourselves to championing the rights and dignity of women and girls in conflict zones. Together, through collective action and refusing to remain silent, we can create a world where every individual, regardless of gender or circumstance, can thrive in peace and security. It's time to turn our aspirations into reality and ensure that no woman or girl is left behind on the path to peace. And it's time for the UNSC and other multilateral institutions to prioritise womens’ and girls’ lives over politics.

To get involved in this work, reach out to the local IPPF Member Association in your country.