This new briefing paper from Reaching Critical Will considers synergies—and contradictions—related to gender and women in a number of multilateral resolutions, treaties, and commitments on conventional weapons and women’s rights and participation, including the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), the UN Programme of Action on trade in small arms and light weapons (UNPoA), and resolutions from UN Security Council, UN Human Rights Council, and UN General Assembly.
The paper provides a gendered critique of these instruments in order to address problems with categorising women as a vulnerable group, undermining women’s participation and gender diversity in disarmament, reinforcing violent masculinities, and perpetuating structures of patriarchal militarism. It offers several concrete recommendations for states and other actors to change our framing, implement existing tools holistically, and develop stronger norms, standards, and laws to advance gender diversity, disarmament, and peace.
