IN marking the Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence, the Pacific Foundation for the Advancement of Women (PACFAW) and the Pacific Concerns Resource Centre (PCRC) feel concerns over the misuse of guns is very real.
Ema Tagicakibau of the PCRC Peace and Disarmament Desk said Fiji was fortunate to allowed license for people to carry guns.
"We want to focus on what we can learn from the coup cycle and gun violence. The security forces should be reminded of the Code of Conduct for law enforcement officials which requires them to only use necessary force," Ms Tagicakibau said.
"Citizens need to have confidence and trust in the police and understand the roles of the police and the military which should not be blurred," she said.
"Another issue is the link between masculinity and guns male violence while about expressing male dominance, is made worse by the availability of guns."
PACFAW acting executive director Susana Tuisawau said the week should be marked by civil societies as it was related to actions against violence and should not be restricted to gun use.
"We are looking at guns not in its physical usage but as a political tool to take down governments," she said,
"People have been constitutionalised to use guns but have used it to bring themselves into power and we have a dangerous trend here in the Pacific and this is happening because we have allowed arms to be in our possession."
She said Fiji had passed the Fiji Arms and Ammunition Act in 2003 which showed the country was willing to have arms manufactured here.
She said giving the green light to the manufacture of guns was like giving the go ahead to the smoking of drugs like marijuana.
Asela Naisara from the National Council of Women said the separation of power between the military and the police was not clear at this stage and it was clear that there was a whole lot of uncertainty that existed even though the Public Emergency Regulations had been lifted.
PCRC executive director Tupou Vere said the military as an institution had a role to play in government.
"It is an organ of the elected government of the day, it is answerable to the government. If understanding is not there, we will have a runaway army, an army that will not listen to the government and will not use the normal procedures to put forth its concerns through the normal government process," Ms Vere said.