Uncategorized – GENSAC Network

Fortalecimiento del control de armas con perspectiva de género en Panamá: Perspectivas regionales de GENSAC

En México y Centroamérica, el control de armas pequeñas con perspectiva de género cobra cada vez mayor importancia, sobre todo ante las alarmantes tasas de violencia armada y feminicidio en la región. GENSAC y sus miembros lideran esta iniciativa, fortaleciendo las habilidades y el conocimiento tanto de la sociedad civil como de los funcionarios de seguridad, con un objetivo claro: salvar vidas y prevenir la violencia.

En apoyo de esto, en octubre de 2025, miembros de GENSAC provenientes de México y Centroamérica se reunieron en la Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá para participar en un seminario de dos días titulado “Promoviendo la Paz y la Equidad de Género: Aporte regional a la implementación de instrumentos internacionales en materia de control de armas y prevención de la violencia armada y del tráfico de armas.”

El evento, organizado por la Fundación Arias para la Paz y el Progreso Humano, en coordinación con GENSAC, y con el apoyo de la Dirección Institucional de Asuntos de Seguridad Pública (DIASP) de Panamá, reunió a más de 30 representantes de instituciones gubernamentales, fuerzas de seguridad y sociedad civil con el objetivo de fortalecer la colaboración y profundizar el conocimiento sobre los marcos internacionales relacionados con el control de armas y la prevención de la violencia armada basada en género.

El seminario subrayó la creciente importancia del control de armas pequeñas con enfoque de género en la región y demostró el valor de fortalecer capacidades en tiempo real entre países y sectores. Las y los participantes salieron con redes fortalecidas, herramientas prácticas y un renovado sentido de propósito colectivo para avanzar en la paz y la igualdad de género mediante enfoques más coherentes y basados en evidencia en materia de control de armas.

Fortaleciendo capacidades institucionales y colaboración regional

El seminario ofreció una plataforma única para fortalecer las capacidades técnicas e institucionales de las autoridades panameñas responsables del control de armas, incluyendo el Ministerio de Seguridad, la Policía Nacional, la Autoridad Nacional de Aduanas, el Servicio Nacional de Migración y el Ministerio Público.

Las discusiones se centraron en el Tratado sobre el Comercio de Armas (TCA) y sus obligaciones jurídicas, en particular, el requisito de considerar los riesgos de violencia basada en género al autorizar transferencias de armas. Las sesiones también abordaron instrumentos internacionales complementarios, como la Convención Interamericana contra la Fabricación y el Tráfico Ilícito de Armas de Fuego, Municiones, Explosivos y otros Materiales Relacionados (CIFTA), el Programa de Acción de las Naciones Unidas sobre Armas Pequeñas y Ligeras (UN-PoA) y el Marco Global para la Gestión de las Municiones Convencionales durante Todo su Ciclo de Vida (GFA), destacando cómo la implementación conjunta puede mejorar la coherencia y reducir la duplicación de esfuerzos entre instituciones.

Integrando la perspectiva de género en el control de armas

Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras y México analizaron cómo la violencia armada afecta de manera diferenciada a mujeres, hombres y comunidades diversas, y cómo estas observaciones pueden informar las estrategias nacionales y regionales.

María del Sol Hidalgo, de Fundación Arias, destacó los efectos desproporcionados de la violencia armada sobre mujeres y niñas, mientras que Magda Coss, de Inspirando Mujeres–México, enfatizó la importancia de analizar la violencia desde un enfoque interseccional de género para visibilizar las dinámicas de poder y las normas sociales que perpetúan la desigualdad.

Participants also examined national good practices, such as Costa Rica’s legislation linking domestic violence and firearms control, which mandates the cLas y los participantes también conocieron buenas prácticas nacionales, como la legislación de Costa Rica que vincula la violencia doméstica con el control de armas de fuego, la cual ordena el decomiso de armas en hogares donde se registren casos de violencia doméstica y destina un porcentaje de los impuestos sobre la importación de armas al apoyo de sobrevivientes de femicidio.onfiscation of weapons in households where domestic violence is reported and allocates a portion of arms import taxes to support survivors of femicide.

Experiencias regionales y lecciones aprendidas

Representantes de distintos países compartieron experiencias concretas sobre la implementación de compromisos internacionales.

Guatemala destacó el trabajo de su Comisión Nacional para la Prevención de la Violencia Armada como un modelo de coordinación.
México presentó su sistema centralizado de comercialización de armas, que garantiza la trazabilidad y la transparencia en las transferencias.
Honduras compiló buenas prácticas regionales —desde mecanismos de marcaje y rastreo hasta fondos de apoyo a sobrevivientes y campañas comunitarias de sensibilización— que pueden inspirar su réplica en toda América Latina.

La DIASP y la Secretaría de Política Criminológica de Panamá aportaron una perspectiva nacional, presentando estadísticas que subrayan la gravedad de la violencia relacionada con armas de fuego: hasta la fecha en 2025, el 89,5% de los homicidios en Panamá han sido cometidos con un arma de fuego, siendo los hombres jóvenes de 15 a 34 años los más afectados. Las autoridades reafirmaron la urgencia de fortalecer los sistemas de control, el intercambio de información y la cooperación intersectorial para prevenir la desviación y el uso indebido. También destacaron que cualquier estrategia para combatir la violencia armada debe lograr un equilibrio cuidadoso entre las medidas preventivas y las acciones de aplicación de la ley.

Las y los miembros de GENSAC también tuvieron la oportunidad de presenciar una demostración del proceso de destrucción de armas y municiones, observando los mecanismos utilizados por las autoridades panameñas para garantizar la inutilización permanente de las armas incautadas. Las trituradoras de armas de fuego se utilizan para destrozar las armas pequeñas, dejándolas inutilizables, mientras que el calor se utiliza para fundir la munición y los explosivos. Además, conocieron los programas de amnistía de armas de fuego de Panamá, que incentivan a las comunidades a entregar voluntariamente sus armas, una medida preventiva clave que complementa los esfuerzos más amplios de reducción de la violencia.

Compromiso con la acción continua

Al cierre del seminario, las y los participantes reafirmaron su compromiso de mantener la colaboración interinstitucional, integrar enfoques sensibles al género en su labor y avanzar en la implementación de instrumentos internacionales como el TCA y la CIFTA.

Las autoridades destacaron el valor de integrar diferentes instituciones y sectores como una forma de “hablar el mismo idioma” a nivel regional, reforzando la coherencia y el aprendizaje mutuo en los esfuerzos por prevenir la violencia armada.

Para GENSAC, el seminario en Panamá representó un paso más hacia su misión de empoderar a la sociedad civil y a los actores gubernamentales para trabajar conjuntamente en el control de armas con enfoque de género, fortaleciendo tanto los conocimientos técnicos como la acción colectiva para una región más segura e igualitaria.

Strengthening Gender-Responsive Arms Control in Panama: Regional Insights from GENSAC

Uncategorized / By Natalie Briggs

There has been a growing significance of gender-responsive small arms control in Mexico and Central America, particularly given the alarming rates of gun violence and femicide in the region. GENSAC and its members are leading the charge, building the skills and knowledge of civil society and security officials alike, with one goal in mind: saving lives and preventing violence.

In support of this, in October 2025, GENSAC members from across Mexico and Central America gathered in Panama City, Panama, for a two-day seminar titled “Promoting Peace and Gender Equality: Regional Contribution to the Implementation of International Instruments on Arms Control and the Prevention of Armed Violence and Arms Trafficking.”

The event, organized by Fundación Arias for Peace and Human Progress in coordination with GENSAC, and hosted by Panama’s Dirección Institucional de Asuntos de Seguridad Pública (DIASP), brought together over 30 representatives from government institutions, law enforcement, and civil society to strengthen collaboration and deepen understanding of international frameworks on arms control and gender-based violence prevention.

The seminar demonstrated the value of building capacity in real time across countries and sectors. Participants left with strengthened networks, practical tools, and a renewed sense of collective purpose to advance peace and gender equality through more coherent, evidence-based approaches to arms control.

Building Institutional Capacity and Regional Collaboration

The seminar provided a unique platform to enhance the technical and institutional capacities of Panamanian authorities responsible for arms control, including the Ministry of Security, National Police, Customs, National Migration Service, and the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Discussions centered around the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) and its legal obligations, particularly the requirement to consider the risks of gender-based violence when authorizing arms transfers. The sessions also explored complementary international instruments such as the Inter-American Convention Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials (CIFTA), the United Nations Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (UN-PoA), and the Global Framework for Through-life Conventional Ammunition Management (GFA), underscoring how joint implementation can improve coherence and reduce duplication of efforts across institutions.

Integrating a Gender Lens in Arms Control

One of the seminar’s key achievements was the integration of a gender perspective throughout the agenda. Presentations by experts from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico examined how armed violence affects women, men, and diverse communities differently and how these insights can inform national and regional strategies.

María del Sol Hidalgo of Fundación Arias underscored the disproportionate effects of gun violence on women and girls, while Magda Coss from Inspiring Girls–Mexico emphasized the importance of analyzing violence through an intersectional gender lens to uncover underlying power dynamics and social norms that perpetuate inequality.

Participants also examined national good practices, such as Costa Rica’s legislation linking domestic violence and firearms control, which mandates the confiscation of weapons in households where domestic violence is reported and allocates a portion of arms import taxes to support survivors of femicide.

Regional Experiences and Lessons Learned

Country representatives shared concrete experiences in implementing international commitments.

Guatemala highlighted the work of its National Commission for the Prevention of Armed Violence as a model for coordination.
Mexico presented its centralized system for arms commercialization, ensuring traceability and transparency in transfers.
Honduras compiled regional best practices, from marking and tracing mechanisms to survivor funds and community-level awareness campaigns, that can inspire replication across Latin America.

Panama’s DIASP and Secretariat for Criminological Policy provided a national perspective, presenting statistics that underscored the gravity of firearms-related violence: to date in 2025, 89.5% of homicides in Panama have been committed with a firearm, with young men aged 15–34 most affected. Authorities reaffirmed the urgency of strengthening control systems, information sharing, and cross-sectoral cooperation to prevent diversion and misuse. They also emphasized that any strategy to combat armed violence must strike a careful balance between preventive measures and law enforcement actions.

GENSAC members also had the opportunity to observe a demonstration of small arms and ammunition destruction, witnessing the processes used by Panamanian authorities to ensure that seized weapons are permanently disabled. Firearms shredders are used to break small arms into pieces, rendering them unusable, while heat is used to melt ammunition and explosives. Participants additionally learned about Panama’s firearm amnesty programs, which encourage communities to voluntarily surrender weapons, an important preventive measure that complements broader violence reduction efforts.

Commitment to Continued Action

At the close of the seminar, participants expressed their commitment to maintaining inter-institutional collaboration, integrating gender-responsive approaches in their work, and advancing the implementation of international instruments such as the ATT and CIFTA.

Authorities highlighted the value of integrating diverse institutions and sectors to “speak the same language” at the regional level, reinforcing coherence and mutual learning in efforts to prevent armed violence.

For GENSAC, the Panama seminar represented another step towards its mission of empowering civil society and government actors to work together for gender-responsive small arms control, strengthening both technical knowledge and collective action for a safer, more equal region.

Men and Masculinities in Gender Responsive Small Arms Control

Uncategorized / By GENSAC STAFF

By Dr. Mia Schöb and Dr. Henri Myrttinen

The link between men, masculinities, and small arms – in particular, guns – is a close, multi- facteted and intimate one. Individual civilian gun ownership is overwhelmingly in male hands, while militaries, police, security guards, guerrillas, gangs and other organizations that use small
arms are also male-dominated, especially in roles which require handling small arms. Guns are often linked to notions of “manliness,” as well as to activities which are seen as “manly” pursuits such as hunting, warfare, or even violent crime. These notions are embedded in expectations
of men to be providers, protectors of their communities, and at times violent agents of change. The close real and symbolic links between masculinities and small arms are reproduced in popular culture and are also reinforced by arms manufacturers, almost always owned and run by men. Their ads show guns in the hands of men in special police and military forces, of rugged individualists, or aristocratic-looking hunters—all masculinities for the gun purchaser to emulate

This brief focuses on civilian small arms owners and users, rather than on men and masculinities in the military, police, or other armed organizations. It also focuses mainly on small arms ownership and use, rather than the “full life cycle” of small arms. The latter would require examining masculinities in the context of small arms production, marketing, storage, management, transfer, and disposal, all of which are under-researched areas beyond the scope of this paper—but in urgent need of further attention.

This report was commissioned by Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies, based at NYU’s Center for International Cooperation, and in partnership with the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF). The authors, GENSAC, and WILPF wish to thank everyone who participated in this study and so generously shared their time and insights with us. This project was made possible by the generous support of the German Federal Foreign Office.

Download the issue brief.

Men and Masculinities in Gender Responsive Small Arms Control

Uncategorized / By GENSAC STAFF

Authored by: Dr. Mia Schöb and Dr. Henri Myrttinen

The link between men, masculinities, and small arms—in particular, guns—is a close, multi-facteted and intimate one. Individual civilian gun ownership is overwhelmingly in male hands, while militaries, police, security guards, guerrillas, gangs and other organizations that use small arms are also male-dominated, especially in roles which require handling small arms. Guns are often linked to notions of “manliness,” as well as to activities which are seen as “manly” pursuits such as hunting, warfare, or even violent crime. These notions are embedded in expectations of men to be providers, protectors of their communities, and at times violent agents of change.

The close real and symbolic links between masculinities and small arms are reproduced in popular culture and are also reinforced by arms manufacturers, almost always owned and run by men. Their ads show guns in the hands of men in special police and military forces, of rugged individualists, or aristocratic-looking hunters—all masculinities for the gun purchaser to emulate.

The impacts of armed violence are also highly gendered. While men are the primary owners, users, and abusers of small arms, men and boys are also often the main direct victims of small arms violence, especially in countries with high levels of armed violence. However, small arms are also prevalent in different forms of gender-based violence (GBV), including femicide, so-called “honor” killings, and domestic and intimate partner violence (DV/IPV), which disproportionately affect women and girls. In societies with high levels of gun ownership, small arms also play a role in homophobic and transphobic violence.

While the links between men, masculinities, and small arms are multiple, the arms control and disarmament fields have often struggled to engage effectively with masculinities. On the other hand, and with some exceptions as discussed further below, work on transforming masculinities has perhaps not engaged directly with armed violence or gun ownership to the fullest possible extent. This paper seeks to contribute to the ongoing debates on these issues by outlining the current state of play, highlighting gaps and challenges, and presenting steps forward. This paper focuses on civilian small arms owners and users, rather than on men and masculinities in the military, police, or other armed organizations. It also focuses mainly on small arms ownership and use, rather than the “full life cycle” of small arms. The latter would require examining masculinities in the context of small arms production, marketing, storage, management, transfer, and disposal, all of which are under-researched areas beyond the scope of this paper—but in urgent need of further attention.

This paper is based on an extensive review of available literature on the issue of masculinities and small arms, as well as on forty-five conversations with practitioners, activists, researchers, and policy makers from civil society, think tanks, government, and international agencies. The research was conducted from September 2021 to February 2022.

This brief covers:

Some of the policy frameworks with which this paper engages, give key definitions, and a summary of our research methodology.
Examination of links between masculinities and small arms in more detail.
Discussion of how gender should be integrated into small arms programming.
Outline of some promising approaches to working on masculinities in the context of small arms, and end with recommendations.

Download: English | Spanish

About the Issue Brief Series
GENSAC’s Issue Brief Series provides concise and practical analysis of contemporary issues in gender responsive small arms control. The series aims to inspire and support progress across local, national, regional, and international levels of action. It builds on extensive background research as well as the collective insights of GENSAC’s membership and the interested policy and practitioner community. The series aims to reach specialists in small arms control with an interest
in understanding the relevance of gender responsive approaches, as well as specialists in gender equality, women’s empowerment, and conflict and security fields who seek to better understand the contribution of gender responsive small arms control for violence reduction