Although it has been recognized that the proliferation of weapons fuels the systematic and widespread occurrence of sexual violence in conflict, little has actually been done to address weapon proliferation as part of efforts to prevent conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV).
This research seeks to fill this gap by exploring the links between the proliferation of weapons, particularly Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) and CRSV and by proposing an arms control and disarmament toolbox that can be leveraged to prevent CRSV at all stages of a conflict.
In addition to supporting short-term and long-term prevention of CRSV, a gender-responsive implementation of the proposed toolbox can contribute to changing gender norms and attitudes by promoting women’s participation in decision-making about security issue - including arms control and disarmament, which has traditionally been a male-dominated field - thereby addressing structural gender inequality, a root cause of CRSV.
Citation: Hana Salama (2023) "Addressing Weapons in Conflict Related Sexual Violence: The Arms control and Disarmament Toolbox", UNIDIR, Geneva, Switzerland.
Sponsor Organizations: Canada, Germany, Ireland, Norway and Sweden.