SEESAC Releases Practical Guide to Strengthen Gender Analysis for Firearms Focal Points
SEESAC has published a new publication, "A Brief Guide to Gender Analysis for Firearms Focal Points", developed to further strengthen the analytical and operational capacities of Firearms Focal Points (FFPs) in the Western Balkans to integrate the gender perspective in their work.
FFPs provide integrated tactical and strategic intelligence to law enforcement, helping authorities to address firearms-related crime, develop intelligence on illicit possession, use, and trafficking of firearms at both local and international levels.
As firearms-related crime is highly gendered, patterns of offending, victimisation and misuse often differ significantly between women and men. Recognising these differences is essential for building a complete intelligence picture and designing more effective, targeted policies and responses.
Developed as part of broader technical assistance to FFPs, the Guide offers practical guidance to FFPs on collecting gender-sensitive data and applying gender analysis. By building on standard operating procedures and leveraging SEESAC’s field-tested tools and trainings, it provides a clear pathway for the integration of gender perspective into routine operations and analytical outputs.
At the centre of the Guide is a practical, step-by-step methodology for gender analysis comprised of six interconnected steps:
- collecting data to gain insight into the position of women and men;
- identifying gender specific patterns;
- examining the factors behind the identified patterns;
- proposing measures;
- consolidating a gender-responsive intelligence picture;
- and monitoring trends and evaluating responses.
By utilising it, FFPs can strengthen their key outputs and provide more comprehensive insights that support investigators and inform strategic planning. Through examining gender-related patterns in offending, pathways to crime, and risk or protective factors, FFPs can better understand the influence of gender roles and expectations in the context of firearms criminality.
Available in English, Albanian, BCMS and Macedonian, the Guide is produced 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 Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, through the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA II). Through this project, SEESAC is providing support to WB authorities to mainstream a gender perspective into SALW control measures.