In her speech to the UN Security Council, UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous emphasized the dire circumstances that women and girls in the Sahel face, such as terrorism, poverty, food insecurity, and dwindling democratic space. She highlighted how women are disproportionately affected by these issues, including through lack of education, genital mutilation, early marriage, and kidnapping. Bahous drew attention to the collapse of development aid and humanitarian funding, which has resulted in the defunding of gender ministries and the suspension of initiatives aimed at empowering women. She cited constitutional changes, growing female participation in conflict resolution, and increased female parliamentary representation in Chad as indicators of progress despite these obstacles. She urged immediate action, including deploying Women Protection Advisors, investing in gender equality, guaranteeing women’s meaningful involvement in government, and giving direct support to groups led by women.