I by no means intend to simplify the challenges women face in any culture. Women are marginalized in all cultures in my opinion, some in more extreme ways than others.

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

It seems to me that violence against women has been tolerated for so long that the world has become numb to it.

Only 1 in 13 participants in peace negotiations since 1992 has been a woman.

Women are not just victims; they are survivors and leaders on the community-level backlines of peace and stability.

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.

Long-term trauma for women who have survived armed conflict is a haunting reminder that health issues and depression can follow decades after the end of war, but women who hope for healing can and do move forward.