The Role Firearms Play in Violence Against Women

This report analyzes the role of firearms in both lethal and non-lethal violence against women in Brazil, drawing on national mortality and health surveillance data from 2012–2022. It finds that firearms are used in roughly half of all female homicides, with young women and Black women disproportionately affected, and highlights that the home is a significant site of risk, particularly in cases involving intimate partners.

The report also documents thousands of cases of non-lethal firearm violence against women each year, often characterized by repeat abuse, psychological violence, and perpetration by partners or family members. Regional and racial disparities are pronounced, reflecting broader structural inequalities and the uneven impacts of increased firearm availability following the loosening of gun control laws.

The authors illustrate that strengthening firearm regulation, improving data quality, and integrating gun access restrictions into domestic violence prevention policies are essential to reducing gender-based firearm violence and protecting women’s lives.