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

Stronger women build stronger nations.

It appears easier to talk about protecting women than it is to fully include women at all decision-making levels in peace talks and post-conflict planning.

Working with women survivors of war has taught me that we need to listen to women's perspectives on war in order to understand how to effectively rebuild a country, a community and a family.

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.

Like life, peace begins with women. We are the first to forge lines of alliance and collaboration across conflict divides.

Unfortunately, violence against women is not the only injustice women face globally; it is one of the many inequalities that impede the full development of socially excluded women globally.