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

Background:

Gun violence is a leading cause of death in the United States. With more than 12,000 women and allies in medicine, and 100 medical institution chapters across the country, AMWA is uniquely positioned to address this public health crisis.

Our Mission:

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

Our Objectives:

  • To educate health care professionals and students about GV prevention policies and practices, using a lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  • To advocate for gun violence solutions on the clinical, institutional, community, and legislative levels.
  • To evaluate gun violence prevention (GVP) policies and practices, as they apply to health and public health practitioners.

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.”  In response to #ThisIsOurLane and other advocacy, congress allocated $25 million for federal firearm-related research in 2020, and increased the funding to $50 million in 2021. AMWA continues to advocate for increased research funding.

Our Scholarly Projects

Our committee is working to understand and expand the scope of gun safety education in accredited medical school curricula. 

To get involved, contact us at gunviolencesolutions@amwa-doc.org.

Practice

Policy

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:

Media

Our Advocacy Partners

Get Involved

Come to a meeting and learn more! We meet monthly on Mondays at 7 pm ET.

JOIN THE COMMITTEE

For questions, please contact us at gunviolencesolutions@amwa-doc.org.

Past Events

Gun Violence Literacy for Health Professionals Webinar Series 

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