New global research involving over 10,000 children and young people from 10 countries has found that gender profoundly influences how conflict is experienced.

The study, by child rights and humanitarian INGO Plan International, offers in-depth insight into growing up in conflict, based on a survey and first-person accounts of 15- to 24-year-olds from countries including Sudan, Palestine, Ethiopia, Lebanon and Ukraine.

The research – which also includes over 100 in-depth interviews – shows how children and young people who live through conflict are robbed of their childhood, as fear and violence become their normal.

Girls and young women are more likely to experience sexual violence and assault in conflict settings – cited as a risk by more than one in four (27%) girls, and one in six (17%) boys.

They are also more likely to feel unsafe (39%) as a result of the relentless violence that comes with conflict compared to boys (36%).

In the interviews, deeply distressing accounts were shared of rape, and other forms of sexual violence in conflict, that girls and young women had experienced or witnessed. Interviewees emphasised the need for psychosocial and mental health support, which in some countries was very limited or non-existent.

More than one in three (38%) of all children and young people reported feeling unsafe, with 46% fearing that being shot was a risk, and 30% feeling they are at risk of airstrikes.

Almost half of the children and young people surveyed reported they had no, or very limited access to food (43%), with girls and young women more likely to struggle to access food and water. 44% of girls said they have no or very limited access to water, compared to 39% of boys, most likely as a result of pre-existing gender inequality.

Describing her experience of growing up in Sudan’s Darfur region, Dr. Elzahra Mohammed, Programme Lead – Primary and Sexual Reproductive Health for Plan International Sudan said:

“Every day we saw people dead or injured.”

“War is terrible, but I think for girls it is especially frightening. Even before the war, girls faced a kind of discrimination. But afterwards, the situation became very, very bad for us because young boys started to carry knives. When I became a doctor, I worked a lot with girls and young women who were abused in the war… I can understand what girls are going through.”

“It is important to acknowledge that girls are not affected the same way as boys – they need to be treated in a different way, they have different needs, both practically and emotionally.”

Girls and young women reported significantly higher levels of emotional stress indicators than boys and young men. 58% of girls and young women, compared to 49% of boys and young men, report continuous worrying and 58% of girls also say they are unable to sleep, versus 52% of boys.

Global evidence shows that it is common for girls and women to internalise their fears and anxieties and 44% of girls reported feeling hopeless, compared to 38% of boys.

Fatima, 23, currently trapped in Gaza, is surrounded by hunger, fear, death, and destruction every day. “Living in a conflict zone has an impact on young people that may last all our lives: it restricts our access to quality education, employment opportunities, and a safe environment. [We are] traumatised by witnessing violence and losing loved ones, and [this will] have long-term psychological effects.”

In the words of Dansha, 17, from Ethiopia: “The impact of the war is harsher on young females, and we have experienced so many challenges during those moments.”

“Many girls were raped during the war. In addition, compared to boys, we spend most of our time working in the house. This means there is a lot of burden on girls. Therefore, all these challenges bring depression among many young girls and most of these young girls have some sort of mental illness.”

Everyday life is turned on its head overnight when conflict erupts, as electricity and communication become hard to access, interaction with family and friends becomes restricted and schools close or become dangerous to get to. More than half (52%) of survey respondents reported missing out on their education as a result of the conflict in their country.

Lena, 17, remembers this experience well: living in conflict-ravaged Afghanistan as a young girl, her parents’ concerns for her safety meant she was unable to attend any form of primary schooling until she left the country.

Lena, who lives in regional Queensland, now campaigns for peace, equality and youth empowerment on global stages with Plan International, the UN, and other organisations. She was recently awarded Queensland’s Youth Citizen of the Year award.

“Girls living in conflict zones are often the most vulnerable, facing unimaginable barriers to education, safety, and basic human rights. As someone who has witnessed the impact of conflict, this report deeply resonates with me. It highlights the urgent need for global action to amplify their voices and acknowledge the harsh realities they endure, ensuring their stories and experiences are heard and acted upon,” she said.

The study found a staggering 17% of children surveyed had been asked to join an armed group, despite this being a grave violation of children’s rights and against International Humanitarian Law.

Boys were found to be at higher risk of being recruited into armed groups or forces, more than one in five boys (23%) had experienced this. 11% of girls were also found to have been targeted, we were told that girls included in armed conflict groups have been forced to work as cooks, spies or forced into marriage.

Survey respondents in Sudan were the most likely to have been approached by an armed group, followed closely by Mozambique and Ethiopia.

But the report also highlights the resilience young people living through war have, and theircourage in not only articulating their shattered dreams but their hopes and needs for the future. “We live day by day, finding solace in small joys and personal passions,” says Fatima in Gaza.

“Creating personal worlds, and engaging in activities we love, provides a temporary escape and a sense of normality. I take photos and write poetry. I want to be a photographer: holding onto hopes and dreams is a crucial part of survival. Despite the bleak circumstances, these dreams give us a reason to endure and push forward, even when the future seems uncertain.”

Plan International Australia CEO Susanne Legena, said:

“With the world less stable than it has been for generations, our annual State of the World’s Girls report for this year couldn’t come at a more critical time.

“Our research shows us the while the brutal impacts of war are felt by all people who experience it, regardless of gender, the experience itself does differ for girls and boys, young women and young men. Conflict and crisis deepen inequalities and set back any progress that had been made on equality. What the accounts and data show us is that girls pay a high price in conflict, particularly when it comes to gender- and sexual-based violence – this has to stop and is why peace and ceasefires are so desperately needed.

“The state of the world can feel overwhelming, but making a difference, and taking a stand against violence, doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Governments, donors and civil society can all play their part in bringing about peace – and so can everyone,” she said.

The report – titled ‘Still we dream: Girls and young people living through conflict’ is launched ahead of International Day of the Girl (IDG) on 11 October 2024. The day was set aside in the United Nations calendar in 2012 to celebrate and advocate for girls’ rights, following advocacy by Plan International, the world’s leading girls’ rights organisation.

The INGO is calling on donors, governments, and decision makers worldwide to take action for girls in conflict, including implementing immediate ceasefires, and commencing meaningful peace talks aimed at lasting peace, ensuring that girls and young people’s voice and specific needs are included.

Plan International also calls for all parties to conflict to immediately end and prevent all grave violations against children in conflict, including recruitment and use by armed forces and armed groups, killing and maiming, sexual violence, attacks on schools and hospitals, abductions, and denial of humanitarian access.

On IDG, Plan International Australia holds an annual International Day of the Girl Giving Day, and this year aims to raise $120,000 in 24 hours with the help of friends, allies and a telethon.

Everyday Plan supports girls living through crisis, protecting their rights, ensuring their safety, and celebrating their infinite potential. Proceeds of the Giving Day will go directly to girls and children in conflict, providing life-saving aid such as food, water, dignity kits and also the much-needed psycho-social support needed to commence healing.