On the eve of United Nations Disarmament Week, (October 24 – 30), it is clear that uncontrolled stockpiles of small arms continue to be at the epicentre of the world’s conflicts, and it is the local populations who continue to bear the brunt. Illicit firearms and explosives kill hundreds of thousands of civilians every year. These weapons are often in the hands of terrorists and criminals and facilitate human trafficking, national insecurity, and human rights violations.
Earlier this week Ukraine’s Defence Minister Rustem Umerovreported that an estimated 20 per cent of the weapons, ammunition, and explosives in combat zones do not detonate, leaving huge swathes of territory littered with silent, indiscriminate killers designed to main or wound civilians.
To support this years’ Disarmament Week, a global call to action on arms control, the HALO Trust works with governments around the world to help reduce the danger of illicit arms and reinforce more responsible and effective governance of weapons.
HALO also specialises in the field of Weapons and Ammunition Management (WAM), collaborating with police, soldiers and national security forces to register and secure illicit weapons, destroy dangerous ammunition, and train technical experts in many countries including El Salvador, Guinea Bissau, Nigeria, Ghana, Malawi, Somalia, and Bosnia Herzegovina.
War and violent conflict have a disproportionate and unique impact on women and girls, recognised by UN Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. However, in WAM women are heavily underrepresented due to gender stereotypes, lack of access to training and poor infrastructure. Indeed, according to research by UNIDIR, men made up 86 per cent of all participants in WAM training.
The HALO Trust is working to mainstream the arms control and security sector by providing unique training to women in the technical skills necessary to become decision makers and leaders.
North Africa WAM Officer, Nama Abdallah, joined HALO’s programme in Libya in 2020. She explains: “It can be difficult for women to receive training within the weapons and ammunition sector and the Women Managing Weapons project gives the opportunity to many who would not have the chance.”
Shortly after joining HALO, Nama participated in a comprehensive two-week weapons marking and registration training course in Accra, Ghana. As HALO’s weapons and ammunition management (WAM) portfolio in Libya and North Africa expands, there will be increased opportunities for Nama to lead and oversee technical activities.
“Women participating in weapons and ammunition management courses is essential and necessary to achieve gender equality in the sector,” Nama says. “With training and the development of technical skills, women, including myself, can better compete for senior management level positions.”
As part of her training Nama not only developed technical competencies but also, importantly, developed her knowledge on international legal frameworks and treaty commitments related to weapons marking and registration.
Nama and other women in HALO’s technical trainings are playing a vital role in shaping a more secure future in the countries and regions in which they work. Thanks to the support of The Government of Canada we have developed a three-year programme to provide technical weapons and ammunition training to increase the participation of 'Women Managing Weapons' and build a new generation of female experts and leaders in the field.
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