The Women Gun Owners Association of America was founded in 2021 by Amara Barnes and her husband, Jeff with a clear objective: raise the standard of firearms education for women in America.
At the time, women entering the firearms space were often left navigating fragmented information, inconsistent instruction, and systems designed without their realities in mind. Training environments frequently failed to account for female physiology, lifestyle demands, clothing considerations, or the specific threats women statistically face.
The gap was obvious.
Rather than adapt to it, Amara built something new.
What began as a commitment to structured, women-specific education quickly evolved into a national platform. Today, WGOAA stands as a growing education-driven organization dedicated to normalizing the trained, prepared armed female.
Amara is widely regarded as The Matriarch in women's firearms training — a title earned not through volume, but through vision and consistency. She established WGOAA on the belief that firearms education is transformative. When a woman becomes capable, her posture shifts. Her judgment sharpens. Her standards rise.
That transformation extends beyond the individual.
WGOAA was never intended to be a social club or a trend-driven initiative. It was designed as a pillar — a structured, accessible pathway for women across the country to receive serious firearms education through The Armed Female Academy, national connection through The Armed Sisterhood, and reinforcement through a quarterly publication written by women, for women.
Under Amara's leadership, WGOAA continues to grow as more women choose preparation over passivity and skill over uncertainty.
Beyond the organization, Amara's life reflects the values she teaches. She is a devoted wife, a proud stepmother to two remarkable boys, and part of a freedom-loving family that values adventure, resilience, and intentional living. Preparedness is not a talking point — it is a way of life.
But WGOAA was never meant to center on one woman.
It was built to establish a standard.
A standard that firearms education for women should be structured, comprehensive, and rooted in lived reality.
A standard that women are fully capable of mastering their own safety.
And a standard that responsible, trained armed women should be commonplace in America.
The movement continues — because the need continues.
And WGOAA stands committed to shaping the future of women's firearms education for generations to come.
