Our extensive engagement in United Nations peacekeeping has taught us that th...

Our extensive engagement in United Nations peacekeeping has taught us that the triggers for sexual violence and the entry points for influence are different from one case to another. But there are some common points. In all situations, active monitoring and timely reporting are critical. Without them, early warnings will be missed, policymaking will not be properly founded, and perpetrators will slip through the cracks. Almost always, too, there are groups that are particularly vulnerable and need specific and special protection. Again and again, one sees the pattern of preying on refugees and internally displaced persons, especially those — mostly women — who have to venture outside villages and camps in search of water andfirewood.