Gender in Disarmament Resolutions and Treaties

Disarmament and arms control treaties addressing gender

Three multilateral arms control treaties that have been signed since 1945 have gender provisions:

The Arms Trade Treaty (2013)

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (2017)

The Convention on Cluster Munitions (2018)


General Assembly First Committee resolutions addressing gender

General Assembly (GA) resolution 65/69 (2010) and subsequent resolutions on Women, disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control recognize the need to facilitate and increase the participation of women in disarmament and promote equal opportunities in decision-making. These resolutions also encourage better understanding of the gendered impact of armed conflict.

The number of other GA First Committee resolutions on disarmament that incorporate gender references has increased from three resolutions in 2010 to nineteen resolutions adopted in 2021 that included language on women or gender covering numerous areas including nuclear weapons, biological weapons, cluster munitions, ammunition stockpiles, small arms and light weapons (SALW), regional disarmament, and youth.

Some resolutions address substantive gender perspectives such as the differentiated impact of weapons or gender analysis of the issues addressed by the resolution. More common is that the resolution refer to the equal participation of women and men in decision-making or other processes.

General Assembly resolution “Women, disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control”

A/RES77/55 (2022)

A/RES/75/48 (2020)

A/RES/73/46 (2018)

A/RES/72/46 (2017)

A/RES/71/56 (2016)

A/RES/69/61 (2014)

A/RES/68/33 (2013)

A/RES/67/48 (2012)

A/RES/65/69 (2010)

Secretary-General’s reports on “Women, disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control”

A/75/133 (2020)

A/73/115 (2018)

A/71/137 (2016)

A/69/114 (2014)

A/68/166 (2013)