Women too often absent from peace talks – UN chief

Twenty-five years after a landmark U.N. resolution demanded equal participation for women in all efforts to promote peace, the United Nations chief said Tuesday that far too often women remain absent.

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Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during a Security Council meeting at the United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, at U.N. headquarters.

(AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

At the same time, sexual violence against women and girls is on the rise and 676 million women live within 50 kilometers (30 miles) of deadly conflicts, which the head of the U.N. women's agency says is the highest number since the 1990s.

"Around the globe, we see troubling trends in military spending, more armed conflicts, and more shocking brutality against women and girls," Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told a U.N. Security Council meeting marking the anniversary.