A new United Nations report warns that progress on women's participation in peace and security has sharply declined, 25 years after a landmark resolution aimed at including women in such processes. The report reveals that nearly 700 million women and girls now live close to armed conflict, with casualties among women and children quadrupling in the past two years and conflict-related sexual violence rising by 87 percent. Despite evidence that women's involvement leads to more inclusive and lasting peace, women remain largely excluded from negotiations, with only a small fraction serving as mediators or negotiators. Funding for women-led peacebuilding organizations is also drying up, while global military spending has soared to record levels. The report calls for binding targets for women's participation, increased funding for women's groups, and a shift in resources from militarization to peace-building, warning that without urgent action, decades of progress could be lost.