Cairo — Wars are no longer just distant scenes broadcast on screens; they are an extended reality that leaves its mark on the daily lives of millions of people. While the world preoccupies itself with power balances and the outcomes of conflicts, more complex human stories are concealed behind the image, especially those experienced by women in silence.

Women bear a double cost during times of war. It begins with the loss of security and stability and does not end with assuming new, forced roles within the family and society. With the absence of the breadwinner or the disintegration of the social structure, many women find themselves face to face with a harsh reality that imposes upon them the task of reshaping their lives under continuous pressure.

The effects of wars do not stop at material losses; they extend to multiple forms of violations, from gender-based violence to displacement and loss of livelihoods, making women's experience in conflicts more complex and distinctive.

Toward a deeper understanding of how conflicts affect the trajectories of women's lives, and whether current responses are sufficient to protect them or whether they reproduce new forms of vulnerability, our agency conducted the following interview with lawyer Noha Sayed.
Interviewed by: Asmaa Fathi.