Why Does Femicide (Gender-related violence) Remain a Global Crisis for Women and Girls?

 


Femicide, the intentional killing of women and girls, remains a critical issue worldwide, highlighting gender-based violence's pervasive nature. In 2023, approximately 85,000 women and girls were killed intentionally, with 60% (51,100) losing their lives at the hands of intimate partners or family members. This equates to an average of 140 women killed daily.

Regional Disparities in Femicide

Africa recorded the highest number of intimate partner/family member femicides in 2023, with an estimated 21,700 victims, reflecting a rate of 2.9 victims per 100,000 people. The Americas followed at 1.6 per 100,000, Oceania at 1.5 per 100,000, and Asia and Europe had significantly lower rates, at 0.8 and 0.6 per 100,000, respectively.

Region

Victims

Rate (per 100,000)

Africa

21,700

2.9

Americas

N/A

1.6

Oceania

N/A

1.5

Asia

N/A

0.8

Europe

N/A

0.6

Family vs. Intimate Partner Violence

In Europe and the Americas, most femicides are committed by intimate partners, with 64% and 58%, respectively, of such murders attributable to partners. In other regions, 59% of victims were killed by family members rather than intimate partners, underscoring the need for prevention efforts targeting broader family violence contexts.

Prevention is Key

Data from countries like France, South Africa, and Colombia reveal that 22%–37% of women killed by intimate partners had reported prior violence. This emphasizes the potential for prevention through measures like restraining orders and victim protection programs.

Challenges in Data Collection

Global data availability remains a significant hurdle. While 75 countries reported femicide statistics in 2020, this number dropped by half in 2023, weakening the accountability of governments in addressing gender-based violence. Furthermore, only a few nations produce data on femicides outside the domestic sphere, as per the UNODC-UN Women framework.

Call to Action

To combat femicide effectively, governments must strengthen data collection and analysis, expand prevention measures, and enhance accountability. As the statistics suggest, many of these tragic deaths are preventable with timely interventions and robust policy frameworks.

References

1.       UNODC-UN Women Report on Femicide (2023).

2.       Regional Data on Intimate Partner Violence (Africa, Europe, Americas).

3.       France, South Africa, and Colombia Femicide Case Studies.

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