What Tyson Nicholas of the Royal Australian Navy experienced in South Sudan in 2015 as part of the United Nations peacekeeping mission changed the course of his career and solidified his commitment to advancing gender equality in armed conflicts.

In South Sudan, Nicholas witnessed firsthand the ways conflict disproportionately affects women and girls. “It was a moral injury,” he recalls, describing the emotional and ethical burden of seeing widespread sexual violence exploited during the war.

“You see something that doesn’t align with your values, but you feel powerless to stop it.” The sight of women and girls being systematically targeted by armed forces left a lasting impact on Nicholas. He later pursued a master’s degree in human rights law, with a strong determination to address these grave human rights violations on a larger scale.

Now serving as the Strategic Military Advisor for UN Women, Navy Cmdr. Nicholas is working to ensure that women are not only protected but empowered in conflict zones, where they are often the most vulnerable.

Bottom of human rights pyramid

Throughout his peacekeeping missions, Nicholas observed that pre-existing gender inequalities are often amplified by war. “Before conflict even begins, gender inequalities exist, limiting women’s access to education, health care and economic opportunities,” he explained.

In many conflict zones, sexual violence becomes a deliberate tactic of war, targeting women and girls in ways men do not experience. “Men and boys are more likely to be killed in combat, but women and girls are more likely to suffer from sexual violence, trafficking and modern slavery,” he noted.

The situation is only worsening. According to recent reports from UN Women, the number of women killed in armed conflicts doubled in 2023 compared to the previous year. Also, the number of cases of military conflict-related sexual violence rose by 50 percent. Four out of every ten people who died as a result of conflict in 2023 were women, according to the latest UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' annual report on women, peace and security.

Despite the dire situation, however, the growth of international aid dedicated to gender equality has remained stagnant.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development estimated that the overall overseas development assistance in 2023 totaled $224 billion.

But a separate UN estimate showed that global investment in preventing gender-based violence stood at $378.4 million, or 1.7 percent of the total development assistance according to OECD estimate, in 2023. The UN data also suggested that the actual funding through coordinated plans, which accounted for 83 percent of all funding to gender-based violence prevention, merely covered 25.9 percent of all global demands.

Collective responsibility

Addressing these gender-related impacts is not only a matter of human rights but also essential for achieving long-term peace and security, Nicholas said.

Failing to protect women’s rights and security during conflicts can have devastating long-term consequences for societies trying to rebuild.

“When you look at postconflict settings, women often struggle to regain their economic independence, and they face significant barriers to participating in governance and decision-making processes,” he noted. This exclusion perpetuates a cycle of instability, as societies cannot thrive when half the population is marginalized.

Moreover, empowering women is key to preventing future conflicts. The inclusion of women in peace negotiations, peacekeeping missions and post-conflict rebuilding efforts has been proven to lead to more durable peace agreements and more resilient communities.

Recognizing the importance of women in peacekeeping operations, UN Women and South Korea have taken significant steps to foster women's leadership in military roles. Nicholas points out that female soldiers offer critical perspectives that can reshape peacekeeping strategies.

South Korea's Defense Ministry has hosted leadership training programs for female soldiers from across the Asia-Pacific region in partnership with UN Women, including the latest session on Monday.

“Women bring different insights, especially when it comes to understanding the needs of civilians,” he says. “For example, they might think to ask if there’s enough baby formula in the camp or ensure there are sanitary products for women -- things that male-dominated teams might overlook.”

In pursuit of gender equality, it is essential for men to actively participate and advocate for women’s empowerment, he said, introducing himself as a "feminist." Gender equality is not solely a “women’s issue” -- it’s an issue that affects everyone, including men, he said.

Empowering women is a collective responsibility, and men’s active engagement is vital for achieving meaningful change, he added.