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NEW PUBLICATION LAUNCHED: 12 Steps Towards Sustainable Gender Mainstreaming in SALW Control

SEESAC has just released a primer that aims to share experiences and lessons learned from mainstreaming the gender perspective in SALW control and in security sector reform in general. It highlights practical strategies and ongoing challenges in advancing gender equality within SALW control. In addition, the publication provides a comprehensive overview of tools and resources tailored for policymakers and practitioners working in SALW control-related domains.

Rooted in knowledge sharing and contextualised practices, the primer features practical examples from Western Balkans jurisdictions, showcasing effective strategies that link gender mainstreaming in arms control to broader goals in gender, security, and development. 

Such strategies include the following:

  • Data and gender analysis are crucial for making the case for gender mainstreaming;
  • Gender-responsive leaders are informing and driving a meaningful change in policies and operations;
  • Gender and SALW control training plays a key role in establishing an enabling environment for a gender-responsive approach;
  • For sustainable results, gender must be mainstreamed into key developments, including regional Roadmaps;
  • Commitments for a gender-responsive approach must be embedded in national normative and strategic policy frameworks;
  • Full and meaningful participation of women is a precondition for any effective arms control;
  • Women’s organizations are key partners in pursuing gender-responsive SALW control;
  • Gender mainstreaming in operational SALW control demonstrates practical value in strengthening the effectiveness of armed violence prevention and criminal justice response;
  • Training the trainers not only embeds knowledge within institutions but also creates agents of change;
  • Gender-responsive monitoring and evaluation of strategic frameworks advances progress;
  • Impactful gender mainstreaming requires a long-term commitment, continued technical assistance, and sustainable financial support;
  • Local ownership, regional cooperation, and context sensitivity amplify impact. 

The primer encourages a holistic approach, recognising that impactful outcomes are best achieved when measures are implemented simultaneously rather than sequentially. It stresses the importance of local contextual understanding, while aiming to demonstrate that gender mainstreaming is integral to building safer, more secure communities.

The target audience includes government officials, policymakers, SALW commissions, security sector personnel, international gender equality actors, development organisations, peacebuilding stakeholders, and civil society groups. 

 

This publication is produced under the regional project 'Support for Enhancing the Fight Against the Illegal Possession, Misuse, and Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in the Western Balkans' funded by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, through the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA II). Through this project, SEESAC is providing support to authorities in the Western Balkans to mainstream the gender perspective in SALW control measures.

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