More weapons, women pay the price

With more than 130 armed conflicts according to the Red Cross, and urgent humanitarian crises in Gaza, Sudan, Congo, Ukraine, Syria, Myanmar and Afghanistan, the outlook for women around the world is bleak. 

How conflicts undermine sexual health    

During crises, there is an increased risk of child marriage, female genital mutilation, sexual violence, unsafe abortions and dangerous childbirth. In addition, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections and HIV also rises, as there is an increased risk of sexual violence. Furthermore, the availability of contraceptives decreases.    

UNFPA, the UN agency for reproductive health, estimates that this year alone, 61 million women worldwide will require humanitarian aid. Of these, 7.7 million will be pregnant and will therefore need care to give birth safely. During armed conflicts, there is a rise in gender-based violence. In Gaza alone, 38,000 women and girls have been killed in just over two years. That is 47 women a day. In Ukraine, 3.6 million people are internally displaced, 80 per cent of whom are women and children.   

Women and girls are more severely affected 

War, conflict and crisis have a greater impact on women and girls and affect them more severely. Stress and trauma caused by conflict and displacement have a direct psychological impact on women.  Although experts argue that investment in defence increases overall security, this often comes at the expense of specific services that are crucial to women’s health and well-being.   

UN Women recently reported that increased defence spending has led to a reduction in funding for women’s health services. This slows down the progress towards a gender-equal society.   

In a crisis, the consequences of poverty, geographical location and gender inequality also carry greater weight: they make women and girls less able to cope with the threats and risks they face. They are often prevented from accessing life-saving assistance, or are even denied it altogether.  

Additional defence funding severely undermines international solidarity  

Like other countries, Belgium is rushing headlong into increasing defence spending whilst at the same time cutting the budget for international cooperation by 25 per cent. This is being done under the pretext that defence will prevent a humanitarian crisis in Belgium. But what about all the women who are already living through crisis and conflict? 

In this way, we perpetuate a cycle of insecurity, and we only serve to fuel more violence and conflict, far away from us.    

The list of benefits 

Investing in health, gender equality and sexual and reproductive rights leads to less radicalisation and escalation, and to greater and better economic growth.    

• When women are able to participate fully in the economy, Gross Domestic Product rises by almost 30 per cent, and every year that girls continue to attend school, their future income increases by 20 per cent.   
• According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), primary healthcare prevents 90 per cent of maternal deaths.    
• According to the book Sex & World Peace, investment in international solidarity would have a much greater and more lasting impact on peace, and could reduce the risk of conflict by 40 to as much as 60 per cent.
• According to the Institute for Economics and Peace, every 0.85 euro invested in peace and development saves us around 13.5 euro in military intervention at a later date.    
• Research shows that in countries where there is greater gender equality, the likelihood of a civil war falls by 40 per cent.  

This proves that investing in international cooperation and gender equality can not only save lives, but also promote long-term stability and peace.   

Investing in defence is merely treating the symptoms 

Do we want more peace and security in the long term? Then invest in high-quality healthcare, with the necessary infrastructure, resources and educational institutions where girls are given real opportunities. Also support peace initiatives led by local communities. True security does not come from weapons, but from healthy, safe and prosperous countries. Why should we merely treat the symptoms when we can also prevent the problem?   

Belgium’s priorities must therefore be clear: health, gender equality and sexual and reproductive rights are not luxuries, but essential to life. Are we going to buy another F-35 or fifteen tanks, or are we going to invest in the global security of everyone, and of women in particular?