‛You Get What You Pay For- Disarm for Human Rights’

WILPF Advocacy Documents

Date/month:

18 November 2010

Document type:

Statement

Body submitted to:

Human Rights Council

Thank you, Mr President,

The realization of human rights will depend upon a transformation

of thinking on security; that is, a shift from a paradigm of security assured by military capacity to one in which ‘security’ is understood to mean safety from violence, socio-economic and political inequity, poverty, disease and natural disasters. This ‘human security’ can not be guaranteed by military means alone, and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom calls on States to reflect this principle in their budgetary prioritizations.

In 2008, global military expenditure totaled $1, 464 billion USD, or $217 USD per capita. There is incredible potential for change if just some of these funds are converted for social use. For instance, the World Bank has estimated that it would cost between $7-13 USD per capita to achieve gender equality in low- income countries. The amount spent by the French government on military equipment in one year would cover these costs, and the amount spent by the American government on military research and development would cover it for five years.

At the same time, the World Bank has estimated that the annual cost of achieving the Millennium Development Goals will peak at $195 billion USD in 2015. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned last year that, despite many successes, overall progress has been too slow for most of the targets to be met by this time. Diverting funds away from weapons and military infrastructure and towards providing all those things which we, as global community, have declared to be fundamental human rights could see us on track to achieve the MDGs.

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom calls on States not to be intimidated by the estimated costs of the realization of human rights. The amounts spent by governments on their militaries attests to how much money is available for transformative action. The cost of a single F-16 Fighter stands at $80million USD, a sum of money which, if converted, could provide meals for over 200million starving people, 92,000 clean water wells, 8.5 million mosquito nets, or over 20,000 schools. The tragic irony is that these are the things which bring real security- but you will always get what you pay for.

Your donation isn’t just a financial transaction; it’s a step toward a more compassionate and equitable world. With your support, we’re poised to achieve lasting change that echoes through generations. Thank you!

Thank you!

Melissa Torres

VICE-PRESIDENT

Prior to being elected Vice-President, Melissa Torres was the WILPF US International Board Member from 2015 to 2018. Melissa joined WILPF in 2011 when she was selected as a Delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women as part of the WILPF US’ Practicum in Advocacy Programme at the United Nations, which she later led. She holds a PhD in Social Work and is a professor and Global Health Scholar at Baylor College of Medicine and research lead at BCM Anti-Human Trafficking Program. Of Mexican descent and a native of the US/Mexico border, Melissa is mostly concerned with the protection of displaced Latinxs in the Americas. Her work includes training, research, and service provision with the American Red Cross, the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Centre, and refugee resettlement programs in the U.S. Some of her goals as Vice-President are to highlight intersectionality and increase diversity by fostering inclusive spaces for mentorship and leadership. She also contributes to WILPF’s emerging work on the topic of displacement and migration.

Jamila Afghani

VICE-PRESIDENT

Jamila Afghani is the President of WILPF Afghanistan which she started in 2015. She is also an active member and founder of several organisations including the Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organisation (NECDO). Elected in 2018 as South Asia Regional Representative to WILPF’s International Board, WILPF benefits from Jamila’s work experience in education, migration, gender, including gender-based violence and democratic governance in post-conflict and transitional countries.

Sylvie Jacqueline Ndongmo

PRESIDENT

Sylvie Jacqueline NDONGMO is a human rights and peace leader with over 27 years experience including ten within WILPF. She has a multi-disciplinary background with a track record of multiple socio-economic development projects implemented to improve policies, practices and peace-oriented actions. Sylvie is the founder of WILPF Cameroon and was the Section’s president until 2022. She co-coordinated the African Working Group before her election as Africa Representative to WILPF’s International Board in 2018. A teacher by profession and an African Union Trainer in peace support operations, Sylvie has extensive experience advocating for the political and social rights of women in Africa and worldwide.

WILPF Afghanistan

In response to the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban and its targeted attacks on civil society members, WILPF Afghanistan issued several statements calling on the international community to stand in solidarity with Afghan people and ensure that their rights be upheld, including access to aid. The Section also published 100 Untold Stories of War and Peace, a compilation of true stories that highlight the effects of war and militarisation on the region.

IPB Congress Barcelona

WILPF Germany (+Young WILPF network), WILPF Spain and MENA Regional Representative

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Demilitarisation

WILPF uses feminist analysis to argue that militarisation is a counter-productive and ill-conceived response to establishing security in the world. The more society becomes militarised, the more violence and injustice are likely to grow locally and worldwide.

Sixteen states are believed to have supplied weapons to Afghanistan from 2001 to 2020 with the US supplying 74 % of weapons, followed by Russia. Much of this equipment was left behind by the US military and is being used to inflate Taliban’s arsenal. WILPF is calling for better oversight on arms movement, for compensating affected Afghan people and for an end to all militarised systems.

Militarised masculinity

Mobilising men and boys around feminist peace has been one way of deconstructing and redefining masculinities. WILPF shares a feminist analysis on the links between militarism, masculinities, peace and security. We explore opportunities for strengthening activists’ action to build equal partnerships among women and men for gender equality.

WILPF has been working on challenging the prevailing notion of masculinity based on men’s physical and social superiority to, and dominance of, women in Afghanistan. It recognizes that these notions are not representative of all Afghan men, contrary to the publicly prevailing notion.

Feminist peace

In WILPF’s view, any process towards establishing peace that has not been partly designed by women remains deficient. Beyond bringing perspectives that encapsulate the views of half of the society and unlike the men only designed processes, women’s true and meaningful participation allows the situation to improve.

In Afghanistan, WILPF has been demanding that women occupy the front seats at the negotiating tables. The experience of the past 20 has shown that women’s presence produces more sustainable solutions when they are empowered and enabled to play a role.

WILPF Advocacy Documents