Spotlight Interview At Small Arms Monitor
In a spotlight interview at the Small Arms Monitor, Widad said:
"One of the biggest challenges I've faced is the strict, one-dimensional, non-negotiable opposition to the idea of civil society engagement in issues of small arms programmes, in particular if the activist is a female human rights defender. Other challenges include ... our inability to bring armed conflicts to an end."
Dr. Widad Akreyi was the subject of a spotlight interview at the Small Arms Monitor, which is produced by the Reaching Critical Will programme of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom during meetings related to the UN Programme of Action.
1. What made you begin your work on small arms issues?
Things that happened around me made me work on small arms issues. In my youth I began focusing on the use of excessive force by elements of the Iraqi government forces and the military, which often resulted in civilian deaths. Afterwards, while documenting the Anfal campaign and the use of chemical weapons against civilians, I realized how the use of conventional arms was an integral part of the campaign.
In fact, each phase of the operation was conducted as a combined armed assault. By the end of the campaign, I initiated a diagnosis about toxic remnants of wars and their effects on human health and the environment, in both conflict and peace. After becoming a health professional, we also identified several patterns of the association between violence against women and the availability of arms and access to guns in homes and in society. Furthermore, I have seen how women and children are abducted, raped, and enslaved.
The common denominator for all the above cases was the overuse and misuse of small arms and light weapons (SALW). Therefore, I worked on identifying their severe implications in terms of health, education, development and the gen- eral well-being of individuals and communities. These experiences provided knowledge of local contexts, of cultural differences and sensitivities, and I decided to increase public awareness through advocacy to ensure justice, accountability and respect for human rights.
2. Please tell me more about your organization, and the work that you do.
Having been in this field for over 30 years, I wear different hats at any given point of time, depending on the organization I represent and its receptivity to my style. Different organizations have different leadership styles.
When I chaired the first regional conference on arms control in the Middle East/North Africa (MENA), organised in Cairo in 2006, just a handful of participants were aware of the importance of effective measures to regulate small arms and light weapons.
