A decade after India's 'gun for women,' safety debate far from settled

Firearms takeup limited; critics insist weapons aren't answer to violence against women

Shahana Begum, affectionately known as "Aunt With a Gun." Members of her Uttar Pradesh community say fear of her wrath dissuades men from preying on women. (Photo by Poorvi Gupta)

POORVI GUPTA, Contributing writer

January 27, 2024 11:38 JST

NEW DELHI -- On a cold and foggy December morning, 55-year-old Shahana Begum -- affectionately known as "Aunt With a Gun" -- sat with a rifle across her lap.

Begum, who lives in Shahjahanpur in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, had learned from her father how to shoot and obtained a gun license in 2007, after her husband died and she felt she needed protection. She said she had once learned first-hand how a gun could help: "When I was traveling with my husband and some goons started to follow our car, I took the revolver which belonged to my husband and fired twice in the air," scaring them off.