Firearm violence is one of the most significant yet least recognized men’s health crises globally: men make up roughly 81% of homicide victims and 90% of perpetrators, and firearms drive both male suicide and violence against women, children, and LGBTQI+ people. Despite this, firearms are almost entirely absent from WHO guidance, national men’s health strategies, and masculinities-focused NGO agendas, a self-reinforcing blind spot where omission in one arena perpetuates omission elsewhere. The paper traces this gap through global/regional data (with deep focus on the Americas, Caribbean, Brazil, and South Africa), the commercial marketing forces that link firearms to masculinity, and existing intervention models (hospital-based violence programs, community violence intervention, trauma care). It calls for recognizing firearm violence as a core, preventable men’s health and gender-equity priority requiring coordinated WHO, national, and civil-society action.
