As women, we must speak out, speak up, say no to our inheritance of loss and yes to a future of women-led dialogue about women's rights and value.

I don't have a child, so Women for Women is like my child. But I always said I would step down after 20 years. I didn't want to be a 60-year-old woman holding on to something I created when I was 23.

Everything can be taken from you in a second, but the human spirit is so strong. War can teach you so much about evil, and so much about good.

Without women's full inclusion at the decision making table, we cannot have any healthy decision making that is good for men and women alike.

Only 8 percent of peace talks have included women at any level.

It is the diversity of views that stems from different experiences and different backgrounds that lead to healthy decision-making and not the unified experiences and unified views.

I firmly believe today that the only way to stop violence against women is to speak out and refused to be silenced.