Description

Humanity currently confronts a myriad of serious, sophisticated, and existential threats, perhaps more than has ever been the case in its troubled history. Addressing and resolving these many, different challenges in an effective manner requires the engagement of all those who are affected, directly and indirectly, by such threats. The Covid-19 pandemic, in particular, has provided a timely, and stern, reminder to humanity, not only of its extraordinary fragility and vulnerability, but also a rebuke of its ‘business as usual’ approach when it comes to confronting risks and threats of the most serious kind.

Significant strides forward have been made in engaging greater involvement by women decision and policy makers in the Peace and Security arena, in particular in the past twenty years. But this is a journey which in many ways that has just begun and the path ahead remains a long and challenging one. Many mind sets, fundamentally, remain to be changed and words have too frequently not been matched by concrete actions and deeds.

The purpose of this Parliamentary Handbook on the Role of Women Parliamentarians in the Prevention of Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) is to highlight why and how Women Parliamentarians can make decisive contributions in pushing back against a threat that has never been more clear and present. It is hoped that this Handbook will:

1. encourage those Women Parliamentarians already engaged in the Women Peace and Security space to continue their heroic efforts also in the WMD arena
2. encourage a new generation of Women Parliamentarians also to respond to the urgent need for more voices of women to be heard in this field and
3. just as importantly, persuade all Parliamentarians of the imperative and urgent necessity of building-on, consolidating, and securing progress made to date.