AMWA Initiatives

The American Medical Women’s Association advocates bringing under-addressed issues to the forefront of the national agenda. Join our initiatives now.

Gun Violence Solutions

ADVOCACY ALERT!

SIGN ON

Health and Public Health Practitioner Petition:
Gun Violence is a Health Emergency for U.S. Children

AMWA is urging HHS to take 3 public health actions: (1) Issue a National Action Plan for Firearm Injury Prevention in Children and Adolescents (2) Require equitable data practices (3) Establish a child focused definition of gun violence, to include exposure (i.e., hearing gun shots, losing loved ones).

Make your voice heard!  Sign our petition and share with at least 3 colleagues, before July 28, 2022. Join AMWA’s Gun Violence Committee (Discount code: “gvp”) and be part of the solution!

Background:

In 2019, approximately 40,000 Americans died from gun violence. Gun violence is the leading cause of death in US Children. Health providers are uniquely positioned to address gun violence as a public health crisis. Gun Violence Solutions was created in response to escalating gun violence during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our Mission:

To advocate for evidence-informed gun safety solutions that address the needs of our diverse patient population, assure equity and are inclusive of those most often affected by gun violence.

Our Objectives:

With more than 12000 women and allies in medicine, and 100 medical institution chapters across the country, AMWA is uniquely positioned to achieve our mission by:

  • Providing a platform to listen and learn from diverse perspectives.
  • Educating physicians and trainees on equitable, evidenced informed, health care-centered gun violence policies and practices
  • Promoting narrative-based advocacy, amplifying the voices of those most affected, advocating for solutions that are community-driven, and building long-lasting partnerships. Supporting gun violence prevention curricula for health providers and trainees, inclusive of diverse communities.

Research

A Brief History of Gun Violence Research

Gun violence research in the US has been hindered since 1996, with the Congressional passage of the Dickey Amendment. The Dickey Amendment states that “none of the funds made available for injury prevention and control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) may be used to advocate or promote gun control.” The Dickey Amendment was passed by Congress in response to a 1993 NEJM study by Arthur Kellermann, which found an increased risk of homicide in homes with guns. In response to #ThisIsOurLane and other advocacy, the federal budget included an allocation of $25 million for firearm related research in 2020, marking national progress towards finding solutions to the gun violence crisis.  In 2021, the funding amount to the CDC and NIH for gun violence research was increased to $50 million. However, the current level of federal funding continues to be far lower than the need.  Continued advocacy is needed to increase research funding at federal, state, and local levels.

Our Scholarly Projects

AMWA’s Gun Violence Solutions Committee is leading a project to understand the scope and content of gun safety curriculum for medical students attending United States based medical schools.  The project will draw on the findings of the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) which look at the number of accredited medical schools that have gun safety as part of their curriculum.

Member Resources

Practice

Media and Messaging

Advocacy

Narrative Based Advocacy

Gun Violence Solutions was created in response to escalating gun violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. By using narrative-based advocacy, we are able to amplify the voices of those most affected, to advocate for solutions that are community driven, and to build long lasting partnerships.

Unloading: Community Solutions for Gun Violence

The podcast was created by the American Medical Women’s Association to illuminate diverse perspectives across the country about solutions to the epidemic of Gun Violence. Hosted by Minorvi Amin and Katharine Ross.

Listen on the Following Platforms:

Position Papers

Get Involved

Are you an AMWA chapter leader, or are you interested in putting on an educational event or series of events on gun violence in your institution? AMWA has resources for you! Please email us, and we would be happy to share our slide decks and literature with you.

We also love to partner with organizations with similar missions. Here is an ongoing list of our partners:

To join our group, please contact us at amwagunviolencetaskforce@gmail.com.

Upcoming 

Meetings

Gun Violence Solutions meets every other Monday at 7 pm CT. REGISTER  HERE to receive a link to the meeting. We hope to see you soon!

Past

Gun Violence Literacy for Health Professionals Webinar Series 

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