42 forensic professionals, officers from the police forces and judiciary members were trained in criminal investigation with a gender perspective.
From 27 June to 6 July 2022, the United Nations Regional Center for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in collaboration with the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, held virtually the Specialized Course on Firearms Investigation from a Gender Perspective (FIGP). Its objective was to strengthen the knowledge and technical skills of participants on criminal investigation by implementing a gender perspective.
Representatives from the Police Service, the Forensic Science Center, the Judiciary, the Countertrafficking Unit and the Customs Division of Trinidad and Tobago participated.
Particularly, this activity sought to promote the inclusion of gender perspectives in criminal investigations as a complementary method of analysis, to contribute to the formulation of conclusions free of gender stereotypes, to identify and process evidence of violence based on gender, and to guarantee human rights of female victims.
Given that the presence of firearms in circles of violence against women not only imply a potential murder weapon, but also an instrument of threat, intimidation and coercion, the course raised awareness of the importance to strengthen the cooperation of all actors involved in judicial investigations to optimize individual and collective efforts to deal with crimes involving firearms, with special attention to cases of gender-based violence and consequently to reduce impunity rates of those crimes.
With initiatives like this Course, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, with the technical support of UNLIREC, demonstrates its commitment to prevent, analyse, and eradicate violence against women.
The tools were presented in a webinar organized by UNLIREC and fund by the European Union.
On 22 June 2022, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) hosted the webinar “The nexus between violence against women and small arms”, whose main objective was to highlight the necessity of firearms control in efforts which seek to prevent and eliminate violence against women. The activity brought together 56 participants from different sectors of various Caribbean Governments, civil society organisations and UN agencies as well as other international and regional organisations.
During the webinar, UNLIREC presented its “Normative study: making the link between norms on violence against women and small arms control and regulation norms: Analysis of CARICOM States”, as well as the recommendations therein on the prevention of violence against women through arms control in Latin America and the Caribbean, among them the importance of ensuring that the suitability of applicants for firearms licenses should not be based on criminal records only but also on a profile risk of the candidate, as well as the need to suspend and revoke firearms licenses in cases of gender-based violence.
The Centre of Excellence for Statistics on Crime and Criminal Justice in Asia and Pacific (CoE) of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) presented on the UNODC/UN Women Conceptual Framework for Measuring Femicide and the CARICOM Secretariat presented on the Caribbean Experiences with Collecting Data on Violence Against Women and Girls prevalence surveys conducted in the region.
The webinar promoted the exchange of experiences and international dialogue, with presentations from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) and the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) which highlighted their responses to domestic violence and current measures which are in place to manage arms control policies in the context of violence against women.
Small arms control and violence against women
Firearms control is essential to prevent and eliminate violence against women. During the webinar, the challenges in the identification and measurement of femicides were emphasized, particularly in the Caribbean region, where a clear legal definition has not yet been integrated into the criminal code. The importance of measuring the collecting data on the use of firearms in cases of psychological, physical and sexual violence against women was also highlighted.
Twenty-six officials from the Prosecutors’ Office in six provinces of Costa Rica participated in the “Specialized Course for Prosecutors on Firearms Investigations from a Gender Perspective (CEFAF)” organized by UNLIREC.
On 7, 14, 21, 28 June and 5 July 2022, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in coordination with the Judicial Branch of Costa Rica, conducted for the first time the ‘Specialized Course for Prosecutors on Firearms Investigations from a Gender Perspective (FIGP)’.
The course aimed to sensitize judicial authorities on the importance of incorporating a gender perspective into the design of legal strategies and the construction of case theories in the investigations of crimes committed against women, in which firearms are present.
The FIGP course was conducted virtually and included the participation of authorities from the Prosecutors’ Office, who shared their experiences and good practices, and took part in exercises in which they put the acquired knowledge into practice. During the course, participants highlighted the usefulness of the “check list” tool for the analysis of the factual, normative and evidentiary elements in the construction of case theory.
This course is in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly Goals 5 and 16, which aim to eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls and reduce the illicit flow of arms.
Forty judicial authorities from nine provinces of Argentina participated in the “Specialized Course for Judges on Firearms Cases from a Gender Perspective (FIGPJ), ” organised by UNLIREC.
From 1 to 10 June June 2022, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in coordination with the Women’s Office of the Supreme Court of Justice of Argentina, carried out the first Specialized Course for Judges on Firearms Cases from a Gender Perspective (FIGPJ)’.
The capacity-building activity aims at raising awareness among judicial authorities on the importance of applying gender perspectives in firearms-related criminal investigations and strengthen their technical knowledge to incorporate gender perspectives in cases of violence against women in which firearms are involved.
The FIGPJ course took place virtually and benefitted from the participation of different judicial authorities, who shared their previous experiences in cases of violence against women.
The training course took place during the ‘Global Week of Action against Gun Violence’, promoted by the International Action Network on Small Arms-IANSA. The global campaign seeks to raise awareness on the impacts of armed violence and urges authorities to take adequate measures to tackle it. Course participant’s were invited to join the campaign under the slogan ‘Let’s work together: strict gun controls are urgent’. The course is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, mainly with Goals 5 and 16, which aim to eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls, and reduce illicit arms flows.
This activity is part of the EU-funded project in support of gender mainstreamed policies, programmes and actions in the fight against small arms trafficking and misuse, in line with the Women, Peace and Security agenda.
UNLIREC, in collaboration with UNESCO, conducts webinar ‘Violence in schools: challenges and responses’
On 25 May 2022, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in collaboration with UNESCO Cluster Office for the Caribbean, carried out a webinar on ‘Violence in Schools: Challenges and Responses’ for Jamaican audience. Twenty-four participants, including 18 women, from Ministry of Education and Youth, University of West Indies, Jamaican Constabulary Force, Ministry of National Security, Civil Society Organizations, UNESCO, UNICEF, and Major Organized Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency of Jamaica actively participated in the webinar.
Over the past few decades, media reports of incidents involving firearms in schools have been increasingly recurring in many countries of the region. These incidents which include both the presence and use of firearms inside schools have led to injuries and fatalities as a result of intentional and accidental gunshots. This phenomenon poses enormous challenges in ensuring safe learning spaces for children and adolescents in the region.
Against this backdrop, the webinar included a presentation from UNESCO on the impacts of violence in the region and highlighted responses that can be adopted to combat violence in schools. Meanwhile, UNLIREC presented its study on ‘Firearms in Latin America and Caribbean Schools- Approaches, Challenges and Responses’. With a focus on the Caribbean, UNLIREC presented a regional overview of armed violence in schools and shared different responses being implemented in the region to tackle the presence and use of firearms in schools.
The webinar also included an engaging panel discussion on prevalent forms of violence in schools in Jamaica and school-based intervention programmes being implemented to combat such violence. The panelists included a representative from the Ministry of Education and Youth, a professor from University of West Indies and a youth leader from Bully Proof Kids (NGO). Through this webinar, UNLIREC facilitated a national dialogue by providing an opportunity for the participants to ask questions and share experiences on violence in schools in Jamaica.
This webinar forms part of the Salient Fund project aimed at reducing violence and proliferation of illicit firearms in Jamaica.
Twenty-three forensic experts and law enforcement officers from Jamaica received training on how to conduct gender-sensitive firearms investigations.
From 24 to 31 May 2022, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in coordination with the Ministry of National Security of Jamaica, carried out the Specialised Course on Firearms Investigations from a Gender Perspective (FIGP), aimed at strengthening participants’ technical knowledge on gender-sensitive firearms-related criminal investigations.
Participants came from the following institutions: Institute of Forensic Science and Legal Medicine; Jamaica Defence Force; Major Organised Crime & Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA);Jamaica Constabulary Force, and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The course was aimed at applying gender perspectives to criminal firearms investigations as a complementary method of analysis, thereby contributing to hypothesis free from stereotypes, as well as to identifying evidence of gender-based violence, and ensuring the respect of victims’ human rights. The presence of firearms in cases of violence against women does not only cause fatal outcomes. Firearms are also used as tools to threaten, intimidate and coerce women. Course participants agreed on the importance of strengthening interinstitutional cooperation among the different agencies involved in cases of violence against women, thus optimising their individual and collective efforts to reduce the levels of impunity. Through the support of these training activities, the Government of Jamaica showcases its commitment to prevent and eradicate violence against women.
This activity is part of the EU-funded project in support of gender mainstreamed policies, programmes and actions in the fight against small arms trafficking and misuse, in line with the Women, Peace and Security agenda.
