UN PoA BMS 5: Gender Entry Points – IANSA Women’s Network (June 2014)

A gendered approach is a central component for sustainable progress in the implementation of the UN Programme of Action (PoA). A gendered approach factors in the needs and capacities of men and women in the formulation of appropriate responses to small arms control. An inclusive approach will help provide fuller ownership of efforts to eradicate the illicit trade in small arms. We insist on the full and equal participation of women in the small arms process but we also recognise that men and boys need programmes to help them reject armed violence. There is an urgent need to fully address this dimension of small arms control and to provide training and support to local initiatives, many of which are led by women. It is a fact that gender-oriented policy, continuously and rigorously implemented, will maximise all efforts.

Mandates for gender in the PoA

The UN has long endorsed the strategies of gender mainstreaming and gender balance in its pursuit of gender equality. Most recently, UN Security Council Resolution 2117 (2013) calls for further measures to facilitate women’s full and meaningful participation in all policy making, planning and implementation processes to combat and eradicate the illicit transfer, destabilising accumulation and misuse of small arms. It also calls for those planning disarmament initiatives to engage with women and provide for their full access to these programmes.