Linking the Women, Peace & Security and Arms Control Agendas

Fifteen years ago, in an effort to address the exclusion of women in peace and security matters, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS). This side event will highlight recent developments at the global policy level linking WPS with the international arms control and disarmament agendas. Presentations will focus on the relevance of arms control to the protection of human rights, and the prevention of armed violence and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Trends in uses of explosive weapons will be analysed through a gender lens, as will the effects of the arms trade and illicit trafficking in small arms. As the international community looks towards the post-2015 development agenda, the connections between violence, security and development are being debated. Ways in which military spending can be diverted for gender-responsive development will be explored. Evidence identifies young men as the primary actors in contemporary violence – indeed, men make up 95 percent of homicide perpetrators, and most frequently take up arms to fight in wars (UNODC, 2013). The session will consider ways in which gender norms drive armed violence, why young males are the key perpetrators, and how this phenomenon can be tackled. Using the case study of the Philippines, practical ways to implement national action plans on WPS and advance small arms controls with women engaged in decision-making will be shared. This side event will bring to light the important role of women’s organisations in controlling weapons and reducing the devastating effects of armed violence worldwide. This side event will bring to light the important role of women’s organisations in controlling weapons and reducing the devastating effects of armed violence worldwide.