As the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict wraps up this week, opinion pieces discuss ways to advance global efforts to prevent violence and protect women and children.

Huffington Post: Sexual Violence, the Weapon of War That Has Ceased to Die
Anita Tiessen, deputy executive director at UNICEF U.K., and Susan Bissell, UNICEF’s chief of child protection

“…A critical component in addressing sexual violence is to build a protective environment to prevent children and women from being exposed to violence. In the midst of crises, even the most basic risk-mitigation efforts that can be life-saving are often deemed non-essential and overlooked. Locks on latrines, targeted food distributions, or strategies for monitoring and preventing sexual violence all have the capacity to be life-saving during times of conflict. Even before a conflict has erupted, preventing sexual violence has to be part of the immediate emergency response package…” (6/12).

The Lancet: Preventing violence against women and girls in conflict
Mazeda Hossain, Cathy Zimmerman, and Charlotte Watts from the Gender Violence and Health Centre at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

“…Increasingly, population-based research is being used to document the wider scope of civilian women’s and men’s exposures to sexual and other forms of violence in different conflict settings. What is quietly emerging, but long known among humanitarian aid organizations, is that alongside conflict-related rape, violence by intimate partners is also highly prevalent and is likely to continue long after peace agreements have been signed. … Moreover, it is increasingly acknowledged that civilian men and boys are also victims of sexual violence in conflict. … The scale of violence in conflict-affected settings highlights that alongside strengthened judicial, health, and social responses and accountability measures, we need to invest in prevention…” (6/10).