On 1 October 2020, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in coordination with the decentralized Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cajamarca, held a webinar on “Measures for preventing armed violence against women”.
More than 70 regional and local officials from the Judiciary, Public Prosecutor’s Office, National Police, regional and municipal government authorities, SUCAMEC, and Women’s Emergency Centres participated.
The seminar contextualized armed violence and violence against women in Peru and provided a gender-sensitive analysis based on gender-disaggregated statistical data to highlight the unequal impact of firearms on men and women. Continuing in this vein, UNLIREC presented the findings from its Normative Study on the link between norms on gender-based violence and small arms control and regulatory standards.
Furthermore, to promote a comprehensive approach to these problems, UNLIREC invited the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF) to present the different policies for preventing armed violence against women in Peru, in particular in Cajamarca.
Finally, UNLIREC presented an overview of the measures adopted in Peru and other countries of the region to address, prevent and reduce violence against women during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as recommendations on how to integrate firearms control measures into these strategies from a gender perspective. UNLIREC called to evaluate the continuation of some measures and recommendations beyond the pandemic.
Attendees were able to share their concerns, experiences and interest in the issues addressed via the platform’s chat. At all times, the importance of coordination and cooperation among institutions with responsibilities in both issues were emphasized: the prevention of armed violence against women and attention to the victims, and the control and regulation of firearms and ammunition.
This activity forms part of UNLIREC’s Women, Disarmament, Non-proliferation and Arms Control Programme, supported by the Government of Canada and the European Union.