I have come to understand that in order to effectively advance women's rights, we need to galvanize a global women's movement.

I learned that victims come in all image - some raped, some witnessing an act of violence, some losing loved ones. I learned that the solutions come by both listening to the people impacted by the crisis and by learning from historical experiences in other places.

While women may look different, as some wear suits and others wear saris, or some cover their hair while others wear their hair loose, women need to stand together because they all face the central point of discrimination, although the extremity of which may be different from Kigali to Kabul.

I believe that there is an urgent need to restructure the discussion of war to include the impact it has on women.

Where has change ever been clean and nice? It has always been messy and painful.

Growing up under Saddam's rule, I witnessed many injustices occurring everyday in my country and yet I could not do anything to prevent them.

Stronger women build stronger nations.