For International Women’s Day, Comfort Ero, President and CEO of the International Crisis Group, has released a list of ten Crisis Group publications, op-eds, interviews and podcasts highlighting the intersection of conflict and gender. The selections, published throughout the last year, underscore the increasing complexity of gender-related challenges in conflict zones worldwide.
Among the featured publications is a briefing on Colombia, titled “Exploiting Prejudice: LGBTQI+ People and Armed Groups in Colombia,” published December 3, 2025. The report details how armed groups exploit the vulnerability of LGBTQI+ individuals, particularly transgender women, to maintain territorial control, and calls for increased state protection and response to violence against this community.
Another highlighted piece examines the tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan stemming from a surge in militant violence in Pakistan and Islamabad’s subsequent deportation of Afghan refugees. Published May 22, 2025, the report warns that deported Afghan women and girls face significant risks given the Taliban’s restrictions on their lives.
Ero’s list too includes an op-ed, published on PassBlue October 5, 2025, by Crisis Group’s Gender Project Director Cristal Downing, which addresses the growing pushback against the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. Downing argues that decreased political support from the U.S. And the UN Security Council, coupled with aid cuts, have diminished the capacity to address the effects of conflict on women and support their participation in peacemaking.
A November 27, 2025, episode of the Crisis Group podcast “War and Peace” focuses on the amplified gender inequalities in Ukraine resulting from the ongoing war, including a rise in sexual and gender-based violence. The episode also highlights the increasing roles women are taking in traditionally male-dominated fields within the Ukrainian armed forces and economy.
The selections also turn to Myanmar, with a briefing published November 27, 2025, analyzing the fragmentation of Shan State since the 2021 coup. The report emphasizes how China’s efforts to curb violence risk exacerbating inter-ethnic conflict and reinforcing inequalities, including the exclusion of women from political life. It advocates for inclusive political solutions that bolster women’s representation in local governance structures.
A briefing published February 12, 2026, addresses the rising trend of child recruitment in Colombia, noting that while boys are more often assigned to combat roles, girls are frequently subjected to sexual exploitation by male combatants. The report urges Colombia to strengthen protection measures in schools and enhance criminal investigations into perpetrators.
Ero’s list features an interview with Nigar Göksel, Crisis Group’s project director for Türkiye/Cyprus, published on the UN Women website December 29, 2025. Göksel discusses the importance of integrating gender into conflict analysis and recognizing the contributions of women and women-led organizations to peace processes.
A section from Crisis Group’s “Ten Challenges for the UN in 2025-2026,” published September 9, 2025, highlights the impact of aid cuts on sexual and reproductive health care for women and girls in conflict settings, particularly in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The list also includes a briefing on women-led businesses in Afghanistan, published December 17, 2025, which acknowledges the precarious lifeline these businesses provide despite the Taliban’s restrictions on women’s rights. It recommends easing restrictions on women’s economic activity and increasing donor support.
Finally, Ero’s selections include a podcast episode, “Island Talks – Current Gender Work in Peace and Security,” hosted by Cypriot activist Magda Zenon and featuring Crisis Group Gender Project Director Cristal Downing, discussing the challenges and unexpected pathways in the field of gender and conflict work. The episode was published October 2, 2025, by Kaleidherscope.
