War affects more than 600 million women and girls, UN says

FILE - Women who fled the war-torn Sudan queue to receive food rations near the border crossing in Renk County of Upper Nile State, South Sudan, May 1, 2023. More than 600 million women and girls are now affected by war, say top United Nations officials.  FILE - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks in New York City, June 5, 2024. "As long as oppressive patriarchal social structures and gender biases hold back half our societies, peace will remain elusive," he said in a new report.

More than 600 million women and girls are now affected by war, a 50% increase from a decade ago, and they fear the world has forgotten them amid an escalating backlash against women's rights and gender equality, top United Nations officials say.