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How war shapes women's lives

Women are said to be hardest hit when war breaks out. Datshiane Navanayagam speaks to experts in Kenya and Spain about the many ways that women are impacted by conflict.

As war flares across the Middle East, and conflicts rage in other parts of the world, it is often said that women and girls are the hardest hit by war. But what does that actually mean in practice? What are the key statistics that tell us how conflicts impact women? And what role are women playing in peace processes too?
Datshiane Navanayagam speaks to two women who look at how war shapes women鈥檚 lives. Idil Absiye is a policy advisor on Women, Peace and Security at the United Nations, and is based in Kenya. Dr Laura Mu帽oz-Encinar is an archaeologist and forensic anthropologist at the Spanish National Research Council. Her main focus is the Spanish Civil War, a conflict from almost a century ago that offers many lessons for today.

Producer: Hannah Sander

(Image: (L) Laura Mu帽oz-Encinar, credit Laura Mu帽oz-Encinar. (R) Idil Absiye, credit Idil Absiye.)

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27 minutes

Last on

Sat 18 Apr 2026 16:32GMT

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  • Sat 18 Apr 2026 16:32GMT

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