Femicide involving firearms in the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina (2015–2024)

Abstract

This article analyzes a corpus of 250 firearm femicides in the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, between 2015 and 2024. The studied femicides represent (26.8%) of the 932 cases recorded during the time period. A distinctive feature is the high lethality rate associated with access to firearms by current or former members of the security forces, who account for 53 cases (21.2%). The study corroborates the weak articulation between gun control policies and gender-based policies, aspects that reinforce victim vulnerability. From an intersectional perspective, the analysis is operationalized through cross-tabulations of institutional affiliation, firearm legality, and the victims’ socio-familial conditions. This demonstrates how structural inequalities converge and produce risks. The findings show that both regulated service-related and civilian firearm possession function as mechanisms of lethal power-imposition in domestic contexts. This study provides systematized information that enhances academic research and comprehensive public policies aimed at prevention, firearm control and the protection of individuals in vulnerable situations.