Small Arms & Light Weapons is a sub-theme of the PeaceWomen Theme: Disarmament, and forms part of PeaceWomen’s framework to organize our women, peace and security resources for ease of reference and understanding. It is important to note that themes and sub-themes are interlinked and mutually reinforcing.

Women are disproportionately affected by the use and damage from small arms and light weapons (SALW) such as the use for weapons as intimidation in the perpetration of sexual violence. Women are also affected negatively by the post-conflict damage to education and health systems, and displacement of themselves and their families due to gunfire and warfare. Small arms are considered weapons that a “one person can carry and operate”; including: revolvers, self-loading pistols, rifles, carbines, assault rifles, submachine guns, light machine guns and associated ammunition. Light weapons are “weapons that can be operated by two or more people”; including: heavy machine guns, hand-held under-barrel and mounted grenade launchers, portable anti-aircraft and missile launchers, recoilless rifles, small mortars of less than 100mm caliber, explosives, anti-personnel mines and ammunition. Crime and death rates are significantly increased in countries not only in times of conflict but also in times of peace due to the use of the use of SALW.

The adoption and implementation of Security Council Resolution1325 (SCR 1325) has allowed for women to become more involved in disarmament talks and negotiations and establish peacebuilding programs. While SCR1325 does not directly discuss the effects of SALW, however it does address disarmament of weapons in various contexts and has been used by women’s groups as a resource and tool for advocating against SALW and educating people on the effects of SALW on women and children in conflict and post-conflict situations. Women are often times the best advocates against the use of SALW, being the primary voices at international and regional levels, and in both post-conflict and peacetime situations. One example of women advocacy is the Women’s Network of the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) whose role is to “coordinate organizations that work on issues concerning women and gun violence to promote their participation in international efforts and legislation to combat SALW.”