Against the backdrop of increased violence in Trinidad and Tobago, this study was commissioned to examine armed violence and leadership in relation to women’s security, community safety, and national development and make specific recommendations for amplifying women’s voices, protecting women and girls in communities plagued by violence, as well as give suggestions on how to increase and enhance women’s participation in the full spectrum of decision making around community safety and arms control.

The study also sought to interrogate the relationship between illicit drugs and armed violence to determine the extent to which illicit drugs contribute to armed violence against women.