This year, International Women’s Day takes place just before states meet at the United Nations in the Final Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty.
Women and girls around the world suffer different and serious violations due to the proliferation and misuse of arms and the long-lasting effects of armed conflict. But governments who put profits and narrow national interests ahead of human security are blocking the path to peace and security and respect for human rights offered by a strong Arms Trade Treaty.
Many members of the Control Arms coalition are taking action today. In New York, the Eastern African Sub-regional Support Initiative for the Advancement of Women (EASSI) is convening a side event called “Sexed Pistols Reloaded: A Case Study of Sexual Violence in the Context of Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)” during the 57th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. Amnesty International will be featuring three case studies with women activists on the ATT and women affected by the global arms trade. The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom continues its “Make it Binding!” petition and we encourage everyone to sign today. And next week, Global Action to Prevent War will explicitly link the ATT and gender during an evening reception in New York.
