Bringing together SALW commissions and gender equality agencies to enhance gender responsiveness of SALW control in the Western Balkans
Nineteen representatives of SALW commissions and gender equality agencies from the region gathered in Herceg Novi from 16 to 17 October 2024 to attend the Advanced Regional Gender and SALW Training organized and delivered by SEESAC.
The training aimed to further strengthen the institutional capacities for gender-responsive SALW control policymaking and facilitate interinstitutional cooperation between SALW commissions and gender equality agencies. In doing so, the training intended to contribute to increased effectiveness of SALW control through incorporation and increased awareness of gender aspects of SALW, contributing to the achievement of the goals under the Western Balkans Roadmap on a sustainable solution to SALW Control.
During the two-day training, participants extensively discussed a wide range of topics, including:
- Gender aspects of small arms: Key concerns and implications for SALW control policies and operations,
- Gender dimension of firearms misuse: Men, masculinities and armed violence,
- Gender and demand for firearms: How can gender norms and roles fuel demand for small arms?
- The role of firearms in domestic violence,
- Firearm suicides: Gender aspects and prevention strategies,
- Gender-balanced participation of women and men in SALW control,
- International normative framework for gender-responsive SALW control and regional commitments.
The session on the international normative framework for gender-responsive SALW control was delivered with the support of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA).
The training is part of SEESAC’s comprehensive support to authorities in the region to integrate the gender perspective in SALW control, which includes capacity building through training and coaching, development of gender mainstreaming tools for both policy-making and operational SALW control, application of gender analysis and research and data collection.
The training is funded by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations, through the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA II), through the ‘Support for Enhancing the Fight Against the Illegal Possession, Misuse, and Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in the Western Balkans’ project, as well as EU Council Decision 2019/2111 in support of SEESAC disarmament and arms control activities in South-East Europe reducing the threat of illicit small arms and light weapons and their ammunition (amended by EU Council Decision 2024/381).