Statement of Rita Lopidia, October 2016

Across all conflict and crisis situations, the Security Council must also prioritize women and girls’ protection. Peacekeeping missions mandated to protect civilians, including UNMISS, as well as humanitarian agencies, must do a better job of seeking out and listening to the needs of women and prioritizing their protection. A crucial aspect of ensuring that women are protected is increasing the number of women peacekeepers to enable more responsive channels for women to communicate their immediate protection concerns and overall perspectives on the security situation.