The Security Council's engagement with the issue of women and peace and security has greatly contributed to our common efforts to improve the lives of women in conflict situations around the world. The resolutions adopted by the Council have created a comprehensive body of norms and stimulated progress on the protection and promotion of women's rights.

The scourge of sexual violence in armed conflict has rightly been the subject of attention by the Council. It is warranted that we also focus on the importance of furthering the equal rights of women and their right to equal participation in decision-making processes.

The rule of law makes available to vulnerable groups, such as women, normative tools that promote their empowerment and emancipation. It is essential to uphold the equal rights of women by ensuring their full participation in governing institutions and the judicial system. We must reaffirm the need to establish a legislative framework that secures their full access to justice.

The participation of women in conflict resolution and mediation processes not only contributes to the elaboration of balanced rules in post-conflict situations, but is also an important factor in achieving sustainable peace. Unfortunately, there is a long way to go before women are fully and duly integrated into national and multilateral peace efforts around the world.

It is widely acknowledged that in situations of conflict, the most vulnerable, women included, are those who suffer the most. That makes prevention especially important. The tendency to rush to military solutions runs contrary to the idea of the protection of civilians, since the use of force aggravates the risks to the most vulnerable and further penalizes civilians, in particular women and children.

In post-conflict situations, transitional justice can be an important tool to shape a better future for women. In many circumstances, knowing the truth about the violations committed against women is central to achieving national reconciliation. Transitional justice also plays a significant role in ensuring that the permanent justice structure to be established will take the interests of women into account in its foundations.

Important structural gender asymmetries curb the options of women in most societies. Rural women, in particular, have their potential as agents of peace hindered, since they benefit less than men from the wealth created by rural employment and face new challenges owing to the impact of the still ongoing economic crisis. Yet, rural women are key contributors to global economies, playing a critical role in both developed and developing nations.

Brazil embraces a comprehensive notion of the rule of law that embodies a number of principles and experiences. We are convinced that the rule of law and development are strongly interrelated and mutually reinforcing. The rule of law is intimately connected to the realization of social and economic rights.

Brazil believes that supporting and promoting women's participation in the maintenance of international peace and security is an increasingly important aspect of the Security Council's responsibility under the Charter. In that vein, we encourage further reflection and debates on the role of women in promoting the prevention and peaceful settlement of disputes.

While greater attention continues to be paid to the prosecution of perpetrators of these crimes, we are also of the view that more must be done to ensure that transitional justice addresses the full range of conflict- related violation of women's rights.