EU eLearning Unit: Gender and Disarmament

How are gender and disarmament related? What role does gender play in disarmament? These questions are addressed in the new EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium eLearning unit authored by VCDNP's Mara Zarka, Research Associate and Project/Events Manager, and produced by the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt as part of the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament eLearning Course funded by the European Union. The new learning unit is the first of five new units to be published this year to extend the already existing 15 units, covering issues from arms control theory, weapons of mass destruction and conventional weapons to humanitarian arms control and emerging technologies.

Filled with videos, photos, graphs and quizzes, the eLearning unit takes you on a journey to understanding the importance of gender in disarmament issues. The module is comprised of five chapters:

1. Key Terms and Historical Overview, highlighting the historical role women have played in disarmament, such as the peace camp that was set up outside the Greenham Common Air Force base in England.
2. The UN Framework, featuring landmark UN Security Council resolution 1325 and subsequent UN resolutions.
3. Treaties, Conventions and Action Plans containing gender references, including an examination of female representation in multilateral arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation fora as well as a closer look at the first legally binding multilateral instrument to acknowledge the connection between international arms trade and gender-based violence.
4. Initiatives, Implementation and Actions highlighting the International Gender Champions initiative and the rise in adopting a Feminist Foreign Policy.
5. EU Positions and Actions examining EU strategies incorporating gender in disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation, as well as EU actors engaged in promoting gender mainstreaming.
   Resources, databases, and educational opportunities can also be found in the eLearning unit.

Access the eLearning unit

Photo Credit: UN Photo/ Eric Kanalstein