Multilateral institutions, especially UN Women, UNRWA, and other United Nations entities, have repeatedly failed to protect women from gender-based violence. Their failures are evident in delayed or muted responses to sexual atrocities, the erosion of sex-based protections, the hypocrisy of elevating authoritarian regimes to leadership roles, and recurring internal scandals—including abuses by UN personnel themselves—all of which betray their core mandate to safeguard women.
A. In 2024, over 100 allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse by UN peacekeepers were reported.
B. Saudi Arabia, despite its restrictive male guardianship system, was appointed to chair the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women in 2024.
C. The UN’s response to the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israeli women was swift and effective, with immediate condemnation and robust support for victims of sexual violence.
A. TRUTH! In 2024, more than 100 allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse by UN peacekeepers were reported, primarily in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Central African Republic (CAR). These incidents often involved vulnerable women and girls, with perpetrators rarely facing prosecution due to reliance on troop-contributing countries for accountability. The UN’s supposed “zero-tolerance” policy has been criticized as ineffective, with underfunded victim support and persistent systemic issues.
B. TRUTH! Saudi Arabia, a country with a poor record on women’s rights due to its male guardianship system, was controversially selected to chair the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in 2024. This appointment undermines the CSW’s mission to promote gender equality and highlights the UN’s prioritization of diplomatic relations over human rights principles.
C. LIE! The UN’s response to the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israeli women was neither swift nor effective. Despite widespread evidence of systematic sexual violence, the UN’s leadership issued only a general condemnation of the violence without specifically addressing Hamas’ war crimes or providing immediate support for victims, reflecting political bias and systemic dysfunction.
Bottom Line:
The UN’s failures—whether through peacekeeper abuses, questionable leadership appointments, or inadequate responses to gender-based violence—reveal a troubling pattern of prioritizing politics over women’s safety. Reforming or rethinking these institutions is critical to ensuring meaningful protection for women and girls worldwide.
To learn more, read the Policy Focus: The Failure of Multilateral Institutions to Protect Women.