While the Pacific has so far escaped the widespread armed violence that has devastated other parts of the world, the Pacific experience has shown how only a small number of guns can have a very large impact. Not only have arms fuelled conflict in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Fiji, but even in nations at peace, arms have fuelled crime, clan rivalry and domestic violence.

This paper aims to highlight the relationship between arms, gender and security in and out of conflicts, sustainable development and how does gender impact men and women’s roles in arms control, security and conflict.