Building Capacities to Combat the Misuse of Firearms in Gender Based Violence: Trainings on Risk Assessment and Gender-Responsive Firearm Licensing held in Podgorica

This week, two one-day trainings aimed at practical application of the Guidelines for Assessing and Addressing Risks Related to Firearms Misuse in Domestic Violence and Guidelines for Gender Responsive Firearms License Approval were organized by SEESAC in Podgorica. These trainings are the first in the series of trainings developed and to be delivered in partnership with representatives of ministries of interior and police directorates in the Western Balkans. The trainings are pivotal steps in addressing the risks associated with firearms misuse, particularly in the context of institutional response to domestic violence and firearms licensing procedures.

The first training on April 8 gathered 12 police officers from Montenegro specialized in domestic violence cases. Participants were trained to identify and mitigate the risks posed by firearms in domestic violence context and respond to them with adequate urgency. Using the Guidelines, participants practically exercised how to recognize high-risk situations, collect necessary information and thoroughly assess multiple risks related to the presence and misuse of firearms, both legal and illegal.

Two days later, on April 10, the second training convened 15 professionals involved in the firearms license approval and background check processes. The participants deepened their understanding of the gender aspects of firearms misuse and key gender concerns in the firearms licensing process, including in domestic violence and by groups most at risk of firearms misuse, such as young men. The training session further equipped participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to apply a gender-responsive approach when reviewing firearms license applications, including in background checks and when making a decision on an application for obtaining a license.

The misuse of firearms in domestic violence in the Western Balkans: A snapshot

Data collected through SEESAC’s Armed Violence Monitoring Platform (AVMP) documented that from 2019 to 2023 in the region, more people were killed with firearms in the context of domestic violence (168) than in any other type of incident, including those in the criminal context (143) and public disputes (135).

The misuse of firearms disproportionately affects women and the number of firearm incidents occurring in domestic violence contexts reported on the AVMP nearly doubled in the last six years.

Both trainings were delivered by experienced police officers and Montenegro's Ministry of Interior representatives who successfully completed SEESAC's regional Trainings of Trainers program. This initiative marks a continuation of a comprehensive regional effort that has engaged over 100 police officers and MoI representatives, 17 women's organizations from the region, and resulted in the development of the Guidelines for Assessing and Addressing Risks Related to Firearms Misuse in Domestic Violence and the Guidelines for Gender-Responsive Firearms License Approval.

The trainings were organized under the regional project 'Support for Enhancing the Fight Against the Illegal Possession, Misuse, and Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in the Western Balkans' funded by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations, through the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA II). Through this project, SEESAC is providing support to authorities in the Western Balkans to mainstream the gender perspective in the SALW control measures and, in particular, to prevent and combat the misuse of firearms in domestic violence.