Women and Guns: An Empowering Combination

 The vast majority of American women do not own guns. In fact, only around 22% of women in the United States own firearms, according to a 2017 report from the Pew Research Center.

People often ask why women are pro-gun feminist. To be honest, it's hard to answer that question in just a few words. There are many reasons why women support the Second Amendment and I believe that more women should exercise their right to bear arms. In this blog post, I'll explore some of those reasons in more detail.

Reason #1: Women Have a Right to Self-Defense

As a woman,  you have the right to defend yourself—and that includes the right to use firearms if necessary. Unfortunately, we live in a world where violence against women is all too common. One in four women will experience domestic violence at some point in their lives, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline. And sexual assault is also a very real threat; 1 in 6 American women has been the victim of rape or attempted rape, according to RAINN (the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network).

Simply put, women need to be able to defend themselves against these kinds of attacks. Carrying a gun gives women one more tool that  can be used for self-defense, and that can make all the difference in the world.

Reason #2: Guns Are Not Just for Men

For too long, guns have been seen as "a man's thing." But that's simply not true. Guns are gender-neutral tools; they don't belong to one group or another. Anyone who is interested in learning about and using firearms should be able to do so without judgement or discrimination.

In fact, more and more women are taking up shooting sports and becoming gun owners every year. And that's a good thing! We need more female gun owners and shooters out there to help change the stereotype that guns are just for men.

Reason #3: Gun Control Laws Disproportionately Affect Women

Many of the gun control laws that have been proposed—and some that have already been enacted—disproportionately affect women. For example, so-called "red flag" laws would allow law enforcement or family members to petition a court to temporarily remove someone's firearms if they believe that person poses a threat to themselves or others. But these types of laws are often abused, and they can result in innocent people having their firearms confiscated without due process. This is especially dangerous for domestic violence victims, who could have their guns taken away from them by an abusive partner—leaving them defenseless against further attack.

These are just a few of the reasons why many women are pro-gun feminist. Women have a right to self-defense, guns are not just for men, and gun control laws disproportionately affect women—to name just a few. So next time someone asks you why you're a pro-gun feminist, feel free to share this blog post with them!