I would like to begin with one clear message from civil society: We can no lo...

I would like to begin with one clear message from civil society: We can no longer afford to wait. It is time for action, not words. The experiences of women during war are horrendous and their exclusion from peace processes is frustrating. This exclusion is costly not only to women but to the sustainability of peace. Survivors of conflict and millions of women and men around the world are looking to the Security Council today to be bold. Communities rebuilding after conflict cannot afford to omit more than 50 per cent of their population from these efforts. To do so would mean institutionalizing inequality, which is a recipe for further conflict and instability.