When conflicts break out, civilians are always under threat of violence, and ...

When conflicts break out, civilians are always under threat of violence, and the protection of women and girls is therefore an important responsibility the international community must shoulder. To that end, cooperation between peacekeeping operations and humanitarian organizations needs to be strengthened, so that the voices of the people in the area where a conflict is raging may be heard and their problems properly addressed. We must also strengthen governance in such countries, including in the areas of the rule of law and the protection of human rights; promote security sector reform, including in the military and police sector; and ensure that a gender perspective is incorporated into all of those activities in order to protect women and girls.