 Every year, on 25th November, we celebrate our collective commitment to address the elimination of violence against women, which is a public health and a human rights issue. Despite all the efforts IOM and partners have made, much remains to be done. The needs of women and girls continue to climb, while humanitarian funding falls short, hindering the possibility to provide immediate life-saving support. Globally, nearly one in three women have been subjected to violence at least once in their lifetime, and it only gets worse during crisis. IOM works tirelessly with partners to preserve the safety, well-being, and dignity of women and girls. In 44 countries, IOM works closely with others to carry out a range of prevention activities. Our priority is to continue integrating risk mitigation from the onset of crises into all aspects of IOM's response. Empowerment is crucial to ensure protection. Listening is not enough. Women and girls can drive the response, and where they do, we've seen remarkable results. Butches in Somalia in 2020 during the COVID-19 outbreak, women played a key role in raising awareness on the risks of the pandemic. It is crucial that we aim to create change and prioritize, fund, and advocate to better address this issue. Together, let's strive to provide safer futures for women and girls around the world. IOM continues to commit to end gender-based violence, not only during these 16 days, but every day and everywhere. Thank you.