July 8th 2003

The aim of the session was to go beyond only focusing on small arms and examine the broader issues relating to gender aware ‘human security’ within the framework of Security Sector Reform (SSR). The discussion emphasized that small arms and light weapons (SALW) should not be looked at in isolation, but rather that there is a real need to adopt a holistic approach to work and to include gender aware analysis of conflict situations and security provisions.

The discussion covered four main topics:
1) The enforcement of national security by increasing armed officials to address the problem of insecurity related to small arms
2) The definition of national security – who defines it, for whom and why?
3) How can civil society support the Gender Action Plan that the UN DDA has developed?
4) How can we look at the aggression against women and children during intrastate conflicts?

The key points made were;
- The need to recognise that the impact and engagement in violent conflict is different for men, women, boys and girls.
- The importance of including gender analysis right at the start of any planning phase for SSR or SALW work
- The need to maintain a gender aware human security perspective rather than a narrower technical approach to SALW/SSR
- The need to focus on both micro and macro levels of security, making the linkages household, community and national/regional. It is as much about the insecurity of an individual as broader societal insecurity.

A summary of the discussion will be circulated to participants and further follow up discussions are planned. For further information please contact Nicola Johnston at njohnston@international-alert.org