Over the past five years there have been important advances in the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1325, including an increased focus by the Security Council on the issue of conflict-related sexual violence. In the spirit of UN SC resolution 1325 (2000), UN Women is committed to ensuring that all efforts to implement the Security Council's women, peace and security resolutions are guided by a commitment to women's leadership and gender equality. In her lecture, Ms. Lakshmi Puri, Acting Head of UN Women and UN Assistant Secretary-General, will analyze recent normative and operational developments in the effort to prevent violence against women during and after conflict, review UN Women's own contributions, and will argue that protection efforts are inseparable from efforts to empower women and build their leadership capacities.