Domestic Violence and Firearms

1. Domestic Violence and Firearms Ciara Loughney, SEESAC SALW Awareness Officer Regional Conference on Legal Reform on Domestic Violence Sofia, Bulgaria, February 2008

2. SEESAC/UNDP • UNDP 8 Point Agenda • SEESAC Strategy for Gender Issues in Arms Control and Armed Violence Prevention • Regional research into firearms and domestic violence

3. Guns and Domestic Violence • A gun increases the risk of death by 12 times compared to other means of violence • It is easy to acquire a gun/licence; the law in most countries does not require police to remove guns from perpetrators • Domestic violence and firearms possession increase during and after armed conflict (IANSA Women’s Network)

4. Facts? • Between 2001-2006 in Montenegro 12 women were killed by firearms • In BiH 50% of women contacting one shelter report having been threatened by a firearm • 90% of women who contacted a safe house in Podgorica between 1999 and 2004 reported being threatened by a firearm

5. Victim protection • In Macedonia in 2005-2006 only 1 in 14 domestic violence victims received protection orders • 80% of health service providers in Albania do not register cases of violence • The majority of NGOs do not have a question about perpetrators’ possession or use of a weapon on their reporting forms

6. What you can do • Draft legal changes to link DV and SALW legislation • Include the issue of firearms possession and use in National Strategies on Domestic Violence • Link with NGOs advocating for eliminating violence and for stricter control of civilian possession of firearms

7. Thank you www.seesac.org