Geneva: A new report by UN Women has revealed a chilling statistic: an estimated 140 women and girls are killed every day by their partner or family member, underlining the global scale of femicide, the gender-related killing of women and girls.
According to the report, a total of 85,000 women and girls were intentionally killed in 2023, with 60 percent (51,100) of these deaths committed by someone close to the victim.
The UN’s findings paint a disturbing picture, showing that, globally, the most dangerous place for a woman is within her own home, where the majority of femicides occur.
Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, UN Women’s Deputy Executive Director, stated that, “What the data is telling us is that it is the private and domestic spheres of women’s lives, where they should be safest, that so many of them are being exposed to deadly violence.”
🕙 Every 10 minutes, a woman is killed by a partner or family member.
⚠️ NO MORE VIOLENCE.
⚠️ NO MORE KILLINGS.
⚠️ NO MORE EXCUSES.It’s on ALL of us.
Join the #16Days of activism against gender-based violence: https://t.co/6pZjw0238g#NoExcuse pic.twitter.com/eb6VtZLYwt
— UN Women (@UN_Women) November 25, 2024
Intimate Partner Violence
The report highlights a decrease in overall femicide rates from 89,000 in 2022 to 85,000 in 2023, but it also reveals a worrying increase in deaths caused by intimate partners and family members.
In Africa, where the highest rates of femicide occur, an estimated 21,700 women and girls were killed in 2023, followed by the Americas and Oceania. Europe and the Americas primarily reported femicides committed by intimate partners, while in other regions, close family members were the primary perpetrators.
UN Women also noted that in countries like France, South Africa, and Colombia, a significant number of women killed by intimate partners had previously reported experiencing violence to authorities.
Gender Disparity in Domestic Violence
While both men and women fall victim to intimate partner and family violence, men accounted for 80 percent of all global homicide victims in 2023. However, only 12 percent of these deaths were attributed to lethal violence within the family, compared to 60 percent of female homicide victims.
The report points out that many countries still struggle with poor data collection on femicides, particularly those occurring outside of domestic settings.
The report emphasises the need for better data collection and transparency in tracking femicides. “Significant efforts to reverse the negative trend in terms of data availability would thus increase government accountability for addressing violence against women,” the report stated.
In response to the rising tide of femicide, women in countries such as Turkey, Kenya, India, and Mexico have taken to the streets to demand action and justice.
Governments worldwide have begun pledging new laws and strategies to address the growing crisis, with many calling for more robust measures to prevent femicide and protect women’s rights.
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