Nick Danziger/CICR

Talking Points:
Why a new foreign policy is better for women and girls

 

Aggressive US policies create more violence against women and girls

The United States' aggressive military policies are making the world less stable and less safe. US policies will directly and indirectly escalate violence at home and abroad. War and violence hurt all members of a community, but because of our status in society, women and girls are more often the victims of violence. For women, this means more physical harm, sexual violence, displacement, and a much harder struggle to meet the needs of our families.

The US needs a new foreign policy that fosters stability and in which global security is more than the strict exercise of military force. We must redefine our definition of global security to focus on meeting human needs.

Weapons Against Women

While democracy and human rights are important principles to many Americans, the United States is the world leader in arms sales to human rights abusing governments. These US-made weapons fuel violent conflicts in which civilians are often targets. According to the United Nations, 90 percent of the casualties of armed conflicts during the 1990s were civilians. Violence against women in particular - including rape, forced pregnancies, forced abortion, trafficking and sexual slavery - is increasingly a tactic of armed combat.

In addition, weapons used in armed conflicts are turned on women and children once the conflict is over. A United Nations report indicates that these small arms are used in interpersonal conflict and that armed conflict puts women and girls at a higher risk for physical and emotional abuse from male family members.

A foreign policy that prohibits arms sales and military training to dictatorships and human rights abusing governments will help stem violence against women.

Nuclear Weapons and Our Communities

The President's nuclear weapons policies encourage nuclear proliferation and make it more likely that nuclear weapons will be used. These weapons are mass, indiscriminate killers capable of destroying entire communities and of poisoning the earth. We must ensure they are not used against us or by us.

For too long nuclear weapons have taken money from programs that would better meet the needs of women and children. According to the Global Fund for Women: over 35,000 children die each day from hunger worldwide; women make up 70% of the global poor; and 2/3 of those without access to education are women and girls. Certainly, meeting these needs would leave a better legacy for future generations.

Creating A Place at the Global Table

Our own security and safety, and that of our families and communities, is connected to the safety and welfare of others around the globe. Unilateral action, including the Bush administration's doctrine of pre-emptive strikes, is antithetical to global stability. Global issues must be addressed through global cooperation.

International institutions and agreements should be strengthened as they are making the world a safer place for women and girls. Institutions like the United Nations benefit women by working to provide for women's needs and by finding ways for women to participate in decision making. The UN Security Council has specifically called for women's participation in conflict resolution and peacemaking. Our nation should work with global institutions to ensure the rights of women and better the working, and living, conditions of humankind.

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