Those of us from the continent, which has suffered so many conflicts, know an...

Those of us from the continent, which has suffered so many conflicts, know and understand the terrible impact of war. We also know that women and girls suffer disproportionately — indirectly and directly — as victims of violent conflict. We also know that unless women are key players in rebuilding their societies, including by playing key roles in negotiating peace agreements, national reconciliation and in re-launching economic recovery, such efforts will not succeed. We also know that gender equality and the empowerment of women are crosscutting issues for all development policies and, indeed, should be a cornerstone for all policies, including for peacemaking and peacebuilding.