As we have said time and time again, this is not just a question of how many ...

As we have said time and time again, this is not just a question of how many women are included in the political and decision-making process; it is about enabling them to champion issues that are vital to their empowerment. This is possible only through the full engagement of civil society and women's organizations, which is why resource, training and capacity-building needs must always be given full consideration. The United Nations has an important contribution to make in ensuring, for instance, that the participation of women is better reflected in peacekeeping mission mandates, and that those missions are provided with much-needed expertise and resources, including through the inclusion of a gender component in all of its peacekeeping and political missions.