The tools were presented in a webinar organized by UNLIREC and fund by the European Union.
On 22 June 2022, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) hosted the webinar “The nexus between violence against women and small arms”, whose main objective was to highlight the necessity of firearms control in efforts which seek to prevent and eliminate violence against women. The activity brought together 56 participants from different sectors of various Caribbean Governments, civil society organisations and UN agencies as well as other international and regional organisations.
During the webinar, UNLIREC presented its “Normative study: making the link between norms on violence against women and small arms control and regulation norms: Analysis of CARICOM States”, as well as the recommendations therein on the prevention of violence against women through arms control in Latin America and the Caribbean, among them the importance of ensuring that the suitability of applicants for firearms licenses should not be based on criminal records only but also on a profile risk of the candidate, as well as the need to suspend and revoke firearms licenses in cases of gender-based violence.
The Centre of Excellence for Statistics on Crime and Criminal Justice in Asia and Pacific (CoE) of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) presented on the UNODC/UN Women Conceptual Framework for Measuring Femicide and the CARICOM Secretariat presented on the Caribbean Experiences with Collecting Data on Violence Against Women and Girls prevalence surveys conducted in the region.
The webinar promoted the exchange of experiences and international dialogue, with presentations from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) and the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) which highlighted their responses to domestic violence and current measures which are in place to manage arms control policies in the context of violence against women.
Small arms control and violence against women
Firearms control is essential to prevent and eliminate violence against women. During the webinar, the challenges in the identification and measurement of femicides were emphasized, particularly in the Caribbean region, where a clear legal definition has not yet been integrated into the criminal code. The importance of measuring the collecting data on the use of firearms in cases of psychological, physical and sexual violence against women was also highlighted.
Twenty-six officials from the Prosecutors’ Office in six provinces of Costa Rica participated in the “Specialized Course for Prosecutors on Firearms Investigations from a Gender Perspective (CEFAF)” organized by UNLIREC.
On 7, 14, 21, 28 June and 5 July 2022, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in coordination with the Judicial Branch of Costa Rica, conducted for the first time the ‘Specialized Course for Prosecutors on Firearms Investigations from a Gender Perspective (FIGP)’.
The course aimed to sensitize judicial authorities on the importance of incorporating a gender perspective into the design of legal strategies and the construction of case theories in the investigations of crimes committed against women, in which firearms are present.
The FIGP course was conducted virtually and included the participation of authorities from the Prosecutors’ Office, who shared their experiences and good practices, and took part in exercises in which they put the acquired knowledge into practice. During the course, participants highlighted the usefulness of the “check list” tool for the analysis of the factual, normative and evidentiary elements in the construction of case theory.
This course is in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly Goals 5 and 16, which aim to eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls and reduce the illicit flow of arms.
Forty judicial authorities from nine provinces of Argentina participated in the “Specialized Course for Judges on Firearms Cases from a Gender Perspective (FIGPJ), ” organised by UNLIREC.
From 1 to 10 June June 2022, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in coordination with the Women’s Office of the Supreme Court of Justice of Argentina, carried out the first Specialized Course for Judges on Firearms Cases from a Gender Perspective (FIGPJ)’.
The capacity-building activity aims at raising awareness among judicial authorities on the importance of applying gender perspectives in firearms-related criminal investigations and strengthen their technical knowledge to incorporate gender perspectives in cases of violence against women in which firearms are involved.
The FIGPJ course took place virtually and benefitted from the participation of different judicial authorities, who shared their previous experiences in cases of violence against women.
The training course took place during the ‘Global Week of Action against Gun Violence’, promoted by the International Action Network on Small Arms-IANSA. The global campaign seeks to raise awareness on the impacts of armed violence and urges authorities to take adequate measures to tackle it. Course participant’s were invited to join the campaign under the slogan ‘Let’s work together: strict gun controls are urgent’. The course is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, mainly with Goals 5 and 16, which aim to eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls, and reduce illicit arms flows.
This activity is part of the EU-funded project in support of gender mainstreamed policies, programmes and actions in the fight against small arms trafficking and misuse, in line with the Women, Peace and Security agenda.
Twenty-three forensic experts and law enforcement officers from Jamaica received training on how to conduct gender-sensitive firearms investigations.
From 24 to 31 May 2022, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in coordination with the Ministry of National Security of Jamaica, carried out the Specialised Course on Firearms Investigations from a Gender Perspective (FIGP), aimed at strengthening participants’ technical knowledge on gender-sensitive firearms-related criminal investigations.
Participants came from the following institutions: Institute of Forensic Science and Legal Medicine; Jamaica Defence Force; Major Organised Crime & Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA);Jamaica Constabulary Force, and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The course was aimed at applying gender perspectives to criminal firearms investigations as a complementary method of analysis, thereby contributing to hypothesis free from stereotypes, as well as to identifying evidence of gender-based violence, and ensuring the respect of victims’ human rights. The presence of firearms in cases of violence against women does not only cause fatal outcomes. Firearms are also used as tools to threaten, intimidate and coerce women. Course participants agreed on the importance of strengthening interinstitutional cooperation among the different agencies involved in cases of violence against women, thus optimising their individual and collective efforts to reduce the levels of impunity. Through the support of these training activities, the Government of Jamaica showcases its commitment to prevent and eradicate violence against women.
This activity is part of the EU-funded project in support of gender mainstreamed policies, programmes and actions in the fight against small arms trafficking and misuse, in line with the Women, Peace and Security agenda.
From 9 to 19 May 2022, the United Nations Regions Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in coordination with the Women’s Office of the Supreme Court of Justice of Argentina carried out the Specialised Course on Firearms Investigations from a Gender Perspective (FIGP).
This course, in addition to sensitising participants on the importance of applying gender perspectives in firearms-related criminal investigations, aims at strengthening their technical knowledge applicable to the scientific method of criminal investigation, as well as inter-institutional cooperation in these areas.
Forty (40) forensic professionals and officials from the Public Prosecutor’s Offices from different jurisdictions such as Buenos Aires, Salta, Santa Fe and Tucumán, completed this capacity-building activity
The training course took place virtually and comprised both synchronous and asynchronous sessions. The FIGP addressed theoretical and technical aspects of criminal investigations and the way in which applying gender perspectives, contributes to conclusions free from stereotypes. Case studies were carried out to shed light on the absence of gender approaches and how it negatively affects the rights of victims and their families.
During the training, attention was drawn to the use of firearms to commit different types of violence against women, such as threats, intimidations and coercion, among others. The importance of properly managing the crime scene and the collection of firearms and ammunition as evidence for the purpose of gender-sensitive criminal investigations was emphasised. Lastly, recommendations on gender-responsive procedures were shared and participants were urged to strengthen communication and cooperation among all actors involved in the different stages of the investigations, thus contributing to reduce the high level of impunity of violence against women.
