The Peace Studies Group and the Observatory on Gender and Armed Violence (OGVA) are joining with others around the world to celebrate International Women's Day for Peace and Disarmament, which took place on Sunday 24 May, 2009, and acknowledge some of our achievements and activism from the past 12 months.
Many of us are members of the Women's Network of IANSA, the International Action Network on Small Arms, and work to stop gun violence against women in the home, on the streets or on the battlefield.
The last year has been one of our most successful as we worked for peace at all levels, from the smallest country town to the UN Headquarters in New York.
Globally, we lobbied with thousands of other NGOs for the adoption of the Convention against Cluster Munitions, and we made sure that the Convention recognises that women survivors of cluster munitions have specific needs that require appropriate assistance.
Women in Burundi have led disarmament projects in their villages, whilst others in Argentina have been crucial in that country's weapons amnesty and collection. Together their achievements highlight just some of the activism and commitment of the thousands of women who are taking a stand against gun violence in their countries and communities.
Members in Colombia successfully pushed for provisions in a new law to remove guns from perpetrators of violence against women. Although this is a huge victory, much more needs to be done and we'll be working together on the international campaign 'Disarming Domestic Violence'.
This campaign is the first of its kind and aims to protect women from gun violence in the home and will be launched during the Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence (15-21 June 2009). Our aim is to ensure that anyone with a history of domestic abuse is denied access to a gun, or has their license revoked.
We look forward to the next 12 months of work together and building upon our successes to date.
For more information, please contact:
Observatory on Gender and Armed Violence
Peace Studies Group
Centre for Social Studies, University of Coimbra
Colégio S. Jerónimo
3001-401 Coimbra
ogiva@ces.uc.pt
Note: The International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) is the global movement against gun violence - a network of 800 civil society organisations working in over 120 countries to stop the proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons.