Security Council Open Debate on Sexual Violence in Conflict, April 2018: NATO (Extract 2)

At NATO we understand that protection is at the core of the Women, Peace and Security mandate. NATO-led forces have a responsibility to protect and defend women against violence, but we also recognize this cannot be separated from the issue of empowerment and participation. There can be no protection without participation [...] In NATO we tackle protection through a holistic approach to address the wider issues that affect women in conflict and post conflict. We equally focus on the importance of protecting women and girls from violence and the criticality of supporting and enhancing women’s participation.