Women, men and gun violence: options for action

This article, 'Women, men and gun violence: options for action', forms part of a larger publication on directions for the reduction of small arms control. In this piece the authors emphasise a gender equity approach to reduce risks and bolster resilience to insecurity and violence. A number of issues are explored such as:

• Men, masculinities, and guns: the largest numbers of acts of violence are committed by men
  
• Women’s multiple roles: women play multiple roles in times of war and unique roles in the aftermath
  
• National gun laws and consequences for safety: gun laws can have important and positive consequences when analysed from a gender perspective
  
• Building gender-aware programmes: Policy analysts, researchers and programme planners often speak exclusively to men about finding solutions to security problems.

The article's recommendations include:

• Fully meet existing international norms relating to gender and gun violence: There are numerous international standards that protect women’s rights to equality, non-discrimination, and to protection against gender-based violence
  
• Restrict the acquisition of guns and ammunition by those who commit intimate partner or family violence
  
• Train law enforcement officials to better understand the small arms issues related to the prevention of gender based violence
  
• Include the perspectives of men and women in the development of policies to prevent gun violence.