The United States remains deeply concerned about violence targeted at women a...

The United States remains deeply concerned about violence targeted at women and girls, especially sexual violence. Not only is it horrific for the victims, but it tears apart the fabric of societies. As Secretary Clinton has said, these acts are not cultural but criminal. In the peace and security context, they are not simply women's issues, but, rather, fundamental problems that must be addressed for societies to reconcile, rebuild and find peace. We applaud the efforts made by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to prevent violence against women in armed conflict by working to devise innovative procedures such as random patrols in areas commonly used by women and girls for gathering firewood or water. Beyond sharing best practices and lessons learned, we need to do more to standardize mission-wide strategies and policies, improve redeployment training for peacekeepers, address victims' needs and hold perpetrators accountable. That is why United Nations campaigns such as Stop Rape Now are so important.