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Q&A with Priyanka Jain: Unpacking Nuclear Disarmament with Young WILPF

At the end of November 2023, Priyanka attended the Second Meeting of the States Parties of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) held in New York. Inspired by her experience, she now seeks to explore avenues for engaging young people in the crucial mission of nuclear disarmament. In this Q&A, delve into the conversation by an empowered Young WILPFer encouraging their active role in advancing a world free from the threat of nuclear weapons.

Image credit: Young WILPF
  • 3 min
Priyanka Jain
17 January 2024

At the end of November 2023, the States Parties of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) met in New York to discuss how to implement the treaty in the coming years. The TPNW, which entered into force in 2021, places an absolute ban on the possession and use of nuclear weapons. It is the only legally binding instrument we have today to eliminate nuclear weapons from history once and for all. Thanks to funds obtained by WILPF Italy, Priyanka attended the conference together with representatives of Reaching Critical Will – WILPF’s Disarmament Programme. 

Q: What was it like to attend the conference in New York?

Being a researcher of human rights, the experience for me was truly amazing. Attending a conference at the United Nations Headquarters has always been my dream. The conference provided me with various opportunities to meet and talk with people from different countries working towards a nuclear free planet. I could personally physically experience what it is like to be there in one of the most important international organisations and experience discussions with diplomats and activists from all over the world, especially when the world is facing continuous wars and violence. The risk nuclear weapons possess is increasing day by day because of the sensitivity and vulnerability in geopolitics that we have today. It was an opportunity for me to personally meet victims of nuclear tests and violence from Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Marshall Islands, Australia and many more. There were discussions and speeches about the effects and facts of the destruction that nuclear tests and weapons have caused to the lives of thousands of innocent people. It was a great opportunity for me to participate in the discussions regarding the environmental impacts of Nuclear weapons and also look at it more from the gender perspective.

Q: What is it like to be an activist for Nuclear Disarmament?      

It is, in simple words, eye-opening for me. I grew up in a country where possessing nuclear weapons was always glorified politically as a symbol of power. But what was missing was the realisation that to possess such weapons, we risk the lives of the whole population and we place ourselves in a place where even a single mistake could cost millions of lives and also harm the generations to come.

While writing my master’s thesis, I was even more appalled when I realised how the huge money spent on building and possessing these weapons could instead be used for more needful purposes, such as eliminating hunger and poverty. However, the missing political will and greed for power ignored the need of civilians to accomplish geopolitical goals. It is also very interesting to explore nuclear disarmament from an environmental and gender perspective.  

Q: What are the difficulties faced by young nuclear disarmament activists in your mind?

I would not call them difficulties but yes there can be challenges. The first challenge is making yourself aware of the facts regarding the impacts of nuclear weapons. In a world full of turmoil, it’s very possible that possessing nuclear weapons can be misunderstood to be an instrument of security. Therefore, we have to equip ourselves with the tools and facts for discussions on trade-offs between security and disarmament.

Q: What is your message to other young WILPFers thinking about your experience in New York?

“My message to my fellow WILPFers is that you should always stay motivated and updated about the progress and challenges in the cause that you are working on. Be connected to fellow members and especially to the experienced old members of WILPF and ask them to share with you as much material as possible. I try to connect with my WILPF sisters to have a system of social cooperation and personal strength as well.”

Priyanka Jain
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Priyanka Jain

Priyanka Jain is a PhD-Human Rights candidate at University of Palermo (Italy) and a member of WILPF Italy and Young WILPF Network. She is currently conducting her research at the Department of Government, Uppsala University as a visiting PhD candidate. In the past, Priyanka worked on the relationship between disarmament and human development, and she comes with a varied academic background in International relations and risk management at the University of Palermo and the University of Kent (UK).

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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. 

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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.

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