Kasumi Nishigaya is currently Senior Gender Advisor/Chief, Gender Affairs in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Prior to her engagement with UN Peace Operations, NISHIGAYA served in UNDP as Senior Gender Advisor as part of its Global Programme for Enhancing Women’s Participation in Conflict Prevention and Recovery (2009-11) and later Gender Policy Advisor (a.i.), UNDP Cambodia (2012-3). As gender equality Policy Advisor, both at HQ and large country offices in Cambodia (1996-9) in tandem with the UNTAC and in Indonesia (2003-5) after the fall of Orde Baru, she served in the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for 12 years prior to the selection and appointment as principal Policy Advisor (gender equality and women’s empowerment) at its HQ Division of Planning and Evaluation.