A plea from FIGO: Humanity must act now

Today, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) raises its collective voice with urgency and conviction. Around the world, millions of women, children and families are enduring unspeakable suffering in the midst of escalating humanitarian crises. Current data tells a sobering story:  305 million people in 72 countries need humanitarian assistance, requiring $47.4 billion in funding; 400 million live or fleeing from conflict; 363 climate-related disasters displaced 26.4 million people, impacting homes, food systems and economies; and 360 humanitarian workers were killed in 2024—200 in Gaza alone—making it the deadliest year on record. 

In every war zone and humanitarian emergency, women and girls pay the heaviest price. They face not only the loss of homes, schools and livelihoods, but also the weapons of war that specifically target them: rape, sexual violence, and the deliberate starvation of communities through malnutrition. 

We cannot—and must not—turn away. Rape is not a battlefield tactic. Malnutrition is not an acceptable weapon of war. Women and children are not collateral damage. 

As President of FIGO, I call for immediate global action: 

• Rapid response within 48 hours, ensuring Minimal Initial Service Packages (MISP) are in place, with comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services, access to contraception, safe childbirth care and emergency treatment for survivors of gender-based violence.
• Immediate ceasefire agreements, with safe humanitarian corridors to protect the most vulnerable.
• Social protection mechanisms to shield women and children from exploitation, hunger and displacement.
• Mediation and peacebuilding processes that are gender-sensitive, ensuring the voices of women are not silenced but placed at the centre of conflict resolution.
• Reparations and justice for all survivors and victims of sexual violence and war crimes. 

I also pay tribute to health personnel worldwide, many of them women, who go far beyond their call of duty, often at the warfront, risking and sometimes losing their own lives to save others. They are the lifeline of humanity in the darkest times! 

FIGO’s Committee on Women Facing Crises: Human Rights, Refugees and Violence Against Women has been clear on this matter. FIGO reaffirms our commitment to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with global, regional, and local partners to: 

• Raise our collective voices for agency and accountability.
• Mobilise resources and strengthen the capacity of health care providers.
• Call for removal of survivors from harm’s way.
• Advance critical research in these most vulnerable moments. 

The time to act is now. Every hour lost costs lives. Every silence emboldens perpetrators. Every delay deepens suffering. 

On behalf of women, children, and all those caught in crisis, FIGO pleads for humanity to prevail. 

We call on international bodies, governments and communities: Protect life, uphold dignity and act without hesitation.