The use of conventional weapons in facilitating violence against women is a cross-cutting issue that demands more attention. States have a duty to protect their citizens. As UN Secretary General noted in a recent report to the Security Council, “the causes and consequences of armed violence are highly gendered. Across all affected societies, young males are the most common perpetrators of armed attacks.”

Therefore, global standards for the international import, export and transfer of conventional arms and ammunition should prohibit transfers where there is a significant risk that the transfer will be used to violate women’s human rights or perpetuate a pattern of gender-based violence, including rape and other forms of sexual violence. In addition, to protect women’s rights, the relevant binding international instruments covering women’s rights and rape and sexual violence in armed conflict must be applied in arms transfer decisions.

These selected resources provide background and analysis on how and why an ATT can promote women’s rights, and help to prevent gender based violence.

The materials have been developed by the Women’s Network of IANSA. IANSA is one of the founders of the Control Arms campaign, and the IANSA Women’s Network is the only international network focused on the connections between gender, women’s rights, small arms and armed violence. IANSA women have been active throughout the campaign raising the issue of women’s rights and gender in relation to the ATT.

The Arms Trade Treaty: An Important Opportunity to Prevent Gender Based Violence at Gunpoint (2012)
During the 4^th Prepcom IANSA women will build on past successes in the ATT process and our latest position paper, ‘The Arms Trade Treaty: An Important Opportunity to Prevent Gender Based Violence at Gunpoint’ will include why and how the ATT must include measures to prevent gender based violence and sexual violence against women.

Successes at the 3rd ATT PrepCom (2011)
The major achievement of the week was the inclusion of gender-based violence in the preamble of the new draft paper released by Ambassador Moritan, Chair of the PrepCom, on 14 July 2011. After the release of the paper several states, among them Fiji, Saint Lucia, Grenada, Trinidad & Tobago, and Kenya, made very strong arguments to include gender in other areas of the Treaty, including in the principles, goals and objectives, criteria and victim assistance sections.

ATT position paper (2011)
This position paper of the IANSA Women’s Network is being used to support our lobbying and advocacy of delegates at the UN and can also be used in your work with government representatives and elected officials in your countries.

The links between an ATT and UN Security Council Resolutions on women, peace and security (2010)
This matrix describes how the guiding principles of an ATT are directly connected with States’ obligations to implement and strengthen the provisions of UN Security Council Resolutions 1325, 1820, 1888 and 1889.

Women peace and security: The role of an ATT (2009)
This briefing paper argues that global standards for the international import, export and transfer of conventional arms and ammunition should prohibit transfers where there is a significant risk that the transfer will be in used to violate women’s human rights or perpetuate a pattern of gender-based violence. It argues that international law demands linking the norms of an ATT with UN Security Resolutions 1325, 1820, 1888, and 1889, and obligations under international human rights and international humanitarian law.

The Impact of Guns on Women’s Lives (2006)
This Control Arms report remains relevant today and looks at the impact on women of guns in the home, in communities and during and after conflict. In each of these contexts, it looks at violence committed with guns against women, the role women play in gun use, and the campaigns women are spearheading against gun violence.