By Gisela Luján Andrade / Perú por el Desarme – Sehlac Perú
The original version of this article was written in Spanish, and the author later translated it into English. Wanda Muñoz proofread the final English version.
In December 2023, ‘Perú por el Desarme’ (Peru for Disarmament) inaugurated its «Activists’ Talk» space (Charla de Activistas) with an engaging conversation between Gisela Luján, founder of Peru for Disarmament and representative of Sehlac in Peru, and Wanda Muñoz, a renowned international consultant, expert in humanitarian disarmament, and member of the Feminist Research Network in AI. This discussion took place within the framework of the activists of Peru for Disarmament, as a member of Stop Killer Robots.
This conversation broadcasted live, developed organically, and delved into the topics of feminist self-care and activism in humanitarian disarmament, focusing on artificial intelligence and autonomous weapon systems.
Wanda Muñoz shared her extensive experience and perspective on this matter, emphasizing the crucial role of feminism in disarmament and highlighting the challenges faced by activists in both their professional and personal lives.
To further explore the issues and to encourage our readers to continue this process of reflection, we share below some ideas that emerged from our guest’s insights:
1. Feminism rises against inequality.
Feminism helps us to identify inconsistencies and inequalities in various spaces, including disarmament forums. It provides us with the necessary tools to recognize discrepancies, inequalities, and lack of opportunities for women and diverse voices in the dynamics and relationships registered in macro spaces where decisions are made. In the case of the process of autonomous weapons, this is expressed more clearly in the CCW. The current dynamics not only restrict the presence of women and marginalized populations but also silence the majority voices of states that are not heavily militarized, primarily from the global South.
«In the CCW, addressing the issue of autonomous weapon systems, it would be beneficial to incorporate feminism in the speeches, but also to analyze the dynamics of the forums itself.»
Wanda Muñoz
«With a feminist perspective, we can realize, for example, that in these spaces, Russia or the United States are given 30 minutes to speak, but often times, when the Chair gives the floor to the female delegates from the global South, they are requested to be brief. It angers me because, once again, gender dynamics and geopolitical dynamics come into play. We must analyze who is given more chance to speak and why.”
2. Feminism advocates for the multiplicity of voices.
A feminist perspective calls for building more inclusive and participatory dynamics and proposals that foster the multitude of voices. This is reflected in the need for us, as activists, to contribute to constructing arguments that represent this diversity.
«(It’s not just about using) the arguments that already exist but also finding new ones that are relevant and can be used in our region. The arguments given in Europe to ban autonomous weapons don’t necessarily address the same concerns. We, women, as women from the global South, have additional concerns. So we need to search for the arguments that resonate with us and messages that are crucial for our cause; it’s also part of our work.»
Wanda Muñoz
3. Feminism seeks to transform the impositions of patriarchy in response to violence.
Patriarchy has taught men to resolve conflicts through violence or confrontation, discouraging them from connecting with their emotions, while, in the case of women, they have been taught to act from silence. A clear example of this trend is the rise of the military industry and the prevalence of military solutions to international conflicts. A feminist approach in disarmament activism invites men, women, and those with other identities to transform these patterns and to respond proactively and constructively to violence.
«For feminism, the problem is not men but patriarchy, which brings negative consequences to both men and women. It’s true that this system has primarily benefited men, but it also imposes limitations on them. For example, they are not taught to resolve problems peacefully and through dialogue, nor are they taught to connect with their emotions. ‘That’s not manly,’ is often repeated. When you scale this up to the military, that’s where wars come in.»
«The same happens with women. It’s that we’ve been taught from a young age that we can’t raise our voices: ‘Don’t shout, don’t defend yourself, etc.’ We need to transform the ways in which we were raised, the way in which societies still function, because this also contributes to international conflict»
Wanda Muñoz
4. The feminist perspective in disarmament battles against toxic masculinity.
Toxic masculinity is evident in the prevalence of militarization as a response to international conflicts. The gender perspective in disarmament contributes to recognizing that this tendency is not only an expression of a system but also of individual and personal dynamics stemming from its authors and advocates.
«What happens personally or in your family is also reflected in your community and,on the scale of how international conflicts are resolved. If not, why do countries with nuclear weapons feel that the only way to be respected is by having nuclear weapons? Or, as Reaching Critical Will has identified when analyzing interventions by many nuclear states in international forums, where the dynamics often turn around defending bigger, powerful weapons. Well, what are we really talking about? The gender perspective analysis allows you to review these things. Because what is at a personal level is also at the level of the State, of international relations.»
Wanda Muñoz
5. Feminism is action that fights against silence.
Feminism inspires us to speak out when faced with an unjust situation, exclusion, or inequality, whether as women or belonging to historically racialized or marginalized communities. It also encourages us to raise our voices, even if they are the only dissenting ones.
«I remember hearing this phrase once: ‘We shouldn’t give them the comfort of our silence.’ And that guides much of what I do.»
In any dialogue space you find yourself in (‘whether it’s a mom’s chat or in the CCW’), you must raise your voice, even if ‘you think you might be the only one going against the majority. Once you do, there will never lack someone who tells you: ‘You’re right, thanks for raising that, I felt represented.’ And then, you stop feeling alone.»
Wanda Muñoz
6. Without coherence, there is no worthwhile feminism.
In the case of activism against autonomous weapons, feminist perspectives highlight the differentiated impact of war and, specifically, the militarized use of this technology against systematically marginalized groups and communities, such as women, children, LGBT+ persons, people with disabilities, among others. But this narrative is insufficient if these groups and communities do not participate effectively in the discussions. Feminism can help us not lose sight of this goal.
«You can talk all you want about gender perspective and feminism, but specifically, in your work, how do you apply it? Who did you invite to build your statement or to the conference? Who did you give space to? If you do not reflect about these things, you’re talking without much substance.»
«You can say to yourself: ‘Oh well, in Geneva, I’m fighting to create spaces where we all speak on equal terms, to support each other, to give visibility to everyone’s struggle.’ But, are we doing so in our organization or the networks to which we belong? This is an exercise we must undertake as civil society, in all the spaces we are in.»
Wanda Muñoz
7. Feminist self-care invites us to connect with our emotions and recognize them as the driving force of our activism.
In the long journey of activism, which requires a lot of personal dedication, it is important not to forget ourselves. Feminist self-care provides us with many tools to assess our internal emotional processes, to identify and acknowledge the emotions that lead us to take action, and to commit to being agents of change.»What led me to activism was the indignation against injustices. In this sense, it is essential to connect with anger. This, and often sadness, are tools teaching us that something is wrong in what we are witnessing, especially that there is an injustice.»
«What led me to activism was the indignation against injustices. In this sense, it is essential to connect with anger. This, and often sadness, are tools teaching us that something is wrong in what we are witnessing, especially that there is an injustice.»
Wanda Muñoz
8. Feminist self-care and new ways to relate to activism.
The ode to productivity imposes the mandate of self-sacrifice and disconnection from our priorities. And we have also transferred this way of thinking to our activist work. We have learned that being an activist also means sacrifice: sacrificing our time, sacrificing our quality of life. One way to respond to this is to discover the joy in dedicating oneself to a cause—how? By taking care of ourselves, understanding our strengths and limits, and freeing ourselves from guilt. Feminist self-care can help us transform how we engage with activism.
«With self-care and feminism, before starting any work, you ask yourself: How do you feel? How did you wake up?»
«You can lose the boundaries between your personal and professional life, and it’s also because they demand more from you. Some may say: ‘This cause is so important; how can you say you cannot prepare an intervention at the very last minute?’ (or) ‘Why don’t you want to write statements or go to all conferences?’ I feel that there is a certain guilt that may be imposed on people, which is not necessarily intentional because those who exercise it, are also within that logic. But that does not mean we need to fall into those dynamics.»
For instance, it’s not healthy to spend days and days in a conference in Geneva, for example, without even recognizing that you haven’t consumed vegetables, done exercises, or taken the time to breathe, and barely slept (…) Even if you are there and can contribute with ideas and perspectives, this should not happen at the expense of your own well-being, both mentally and physically.»
Wanda Muñoz
9. Connecting with our emotions to then transform them.
Being an activist with a self-care perspective also means taking responsibility for transforming that anger, frustration, indignation that may have led us to commit to a cause, into the joy of action.
«In her book ‘Pleasure of Activism’, adrienne mary brown, the author, tells us that we have to approach our work as activists from a place of joy (…) Our work is very special, let us feel joy when we wake up because we know that day we are going to participate in such a given space, and denounce an important issue of disarmament or human rights.»
But, to achieve this, «you have to have done your self-care: value your work, congratulate yourself for what you did, share it… or see how the friend for you whom you opened space raised her voice and shone, because you opened that space for her.»
«Our impact would be much more effective if we worked in that way, and we would also be much happier. There is much to be done, but at least now there are more frames of reference than there were 15 years ago.»
Wanda Muñoz
Concluding Thoughts
In conclusion, as activists, it is crucial not to forget ourselves. Feminist self-care provides us with tools to be aware that we need to prioritize our well-being. Only from there can we truly be effective and efficient. Feminism helps us recognize the value of our emotions, committing to a cause, staying engaged, and achieving the change we hope for.
Being feminist also means being consistent in the proposals we build, the arguments we question, and the actions we take. In the realm of disarmament and activism for the prohibition of autonomous weapons, this consistency should be evident not only in the intellectual, academic, or strategic work that underpins many advocacy proposals and arguments but also in the decisions and actions taken. If we seek participation and equity, we must make concrete changes in practice.
In this sense, the feminist perspective helps us collectively construct a critical view of the patriarchal order at all levels, and invites us to recognize our emotions as the driving force behind our actions. In that connection, we find a strength that we must promote and expand, inviting us to express new forms of activism, rooted in self-care, joy, consistency, and ultimately, in our shared humanity.