While guns pose a serious risk to women and especially to women in abusive relationships, the gun industry consistently markets guns to women using strategies that analysts say exploit their fears and their desire for empowerment. Manufacturers also have made available special accessories for women, such as purses that hold concealed weapons and rifle-recoil pads that fit beneath a bra strap. 12 Articles in gun industry publications encourage women to buy guns to protect themselves from strangers as well as batterers. Other gun industry journals frequently carry articles that address women's gun ownership. Despite the industry's marketing ploys, there is considerable evidence that the presence of a gun can endanger women.
Guns can be lethal to women, in particular battered women.
15 Gun possession does not increase women's safety, especially in the home. In fact, having a gun in the home dramatically increases a woman's risk of being shot. Guns are rarely used successfully in self-defense. In recent years, guns were used in self-defense by less than one in every 100 victims of violent crimes including assault, homicide, rape, and robbery. The element of surprise in most crimes makes resistance very difficult, even when the victim is carrying a gun.