Gun registration does not protect women

Posted By Samara McPhedran

Posted 2 months ago

By incorrectly claiming that gun registration protects women, gun prohibitionists have turned their backs on genuine issues of women's wellbeing, and have misled others in the process ("Bill C 391 will prolong random acts of violence against women", 7/11). A taxpayer funded list of legally owned guns does not help women who are suffering in violent relationships. The ideologically-driven registry has not reduced rates of violent crime, has not prevented criminals from illicitly obtaining firearms, and has not prevented violence against women. Massive, ongoing expenditure of public funds upon an ineffective system achieves nothing more than the misdirection of resources away from where they are so desperately needed – social services, education, healthcare, and policing. If the billions of dollars wasted on the failed longarm registry were used to address the factors that lead to and sustain violence against women, society as a whole would reap the rewards. It is time to put aside personal opinions and ideological views about firearms registration, end the wasteful registry, and campaign instead for increased resource allocation for women's shelters, affordable childcare, skills training, and long-term support for women trying to escape abuse.

Dr Samara McPhedran

Chairwoman

International Coalition for Women in Shooting and Hunting (WiSH)

www.ic-wish.org