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A global epidemic - Figures from the United Nations (UN) show that in 2022, around 48,800 women and girls worldwide were killed by their intimate partners or other family members (including fathers, mothers, uncles, and brothers). 

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Killed by someone in their own family -

This means that, on average, more than 133 women or girls are killed every day by someone in their own family.

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The most dangerous place -

In fact, the most dangerous place for a woman is her home. It's estimated that around the world, a woman or girl is killed every 11 minutes in their own home.

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Current and former partners are the most likely perpetrators -

Current and ex-partners are by far the most likely perpetrators of femicide, accounting for an average of 55% of all intimate partner and family-related murders.

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Femicide is a global problem -

Like all forms of gender-based violence against women and girls, femicide is a problem that affects every country across the globe.

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How some view femicide -

In many cases, only gender-related killings perpetrated by an intimate partner or family member are counted as femicide.

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Femicide is much broader -

However, femicide can be related to sexual violence by someone unknown to the victim, linked to harmful practices such as female genital mutilation, or connected with armed conflict, human trafficking, and other forms of organized crime.

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Femicide at the work place -

In some countries, murder is the second leading cause of death for women at work, meaning it's greater than deaths related to workplace accidents.  

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Sex workers are at risk -

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), female sex workers are 18 times more likely to be killed than women in other professions. 

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Honor killings -

There are an estimated 5,000 murders of women in the name of "honor" each year worldwide. However, this is believed to be an underestimate.

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What are honor killings? -

An honor killing is the murder of a relative, especially a girl or a woman, who is perceived to have brought dishonor to the family.

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Femicide of transgender women -

Across the world, femicide of transgender women often faces a high level of impunity. These crimes frequently don't get investigated.

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Violence against women with disabilities -

Although there's a higher incidence of violence against women with disabilities, femicides of women with disabilities remain an "invisible" problem, as data isn't consistently collected. 

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Regions where it's most prevalent -

Figures from UNODC show that while Asia is the region with the largest absolute number of killings, Africa is the region with the highest level of violence relative to the size of its female population.

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Latin America and the Caribbean -

According to the Spanish newspaper El País, in Latin America and the Caribbean, 12 women and girls are killed every day. However, 98% of cases go unprosecuted.

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Femicide of African American women -

In the US, 30% of the murders of Black women are committed by intimate partners or family members. Also, nine out of 10 murdered Black women knew their killers.

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A European problem, too -

According to UNODC, an estimated 2,300 women are killed every year in Europe at the hands of their partners or ex-partners. Unfortunately, many member states of the European Union don't have official records of femicide, which limits the full picture of the situation. 

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Alarmingly high numbers -

While the numbers we see in reports and statistics are alarmingly high, they're only the tip of the iceberg.

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The true scale of femicide is likely much higher -

In reality, too many victims of femicide still go uncounted. For roughly four in 10 intentional murders of women and girls, there isn't enough information to identify them as gender-related killings.

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There isn't enough information -

This is because criminal justice recording and investigation practices are different around the world, and sometimes vary within the same country.

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Data is needed -

Ensuring the availability of comprehensive data is critical to strengthening femicide prevention, protection and response measures.

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Women in the public eye -

Women in the public eye, including politicians, human rights defenders, and journalists are often targets of intentional acts of violence, both online and offline, with some resulting in death.

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Indigenous women in Canada and Australia -

Despite data limitations, the available evidence from Canada and Australia suggests that Indigenous women are disproportionately affected by gender-related killings. 

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A sad reality -

At 4.3 per 100,000 women and girls, the rate of female homicide in Canada was five times higher among indigenous than among non-indigenous women and girls. 

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Comprehensive data is needed -

To prevent femicide, it's crucial that national authorities record comprehensive data on victims. 

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The importance of identifying women at greater risk -

By identifying women and girls at greater risk, countries can better inform prevention and protection mechanisms.

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Femicide can and must be prevented -

Gender-related killings and other forms of violence against women and girls aren't inevitable. They can be prevented through primary prevention initiatives focused on transforming harmful social norms and engaging communities to create zero tolerance for violence against women.

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Key factors to end femicide -

Early intervention and risk assessment, access to survivor-centered support, protection, and justice services are key to ending gender-related killings of women and girls.

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The importance of women's rights organizations -

Women's rights organizations play a crucial role in preventing femicide, driving policy change, holding governments to account, and providing critical survivor-centered services for victims of gender-based violence. Therefore, strengthening financial support for these organizations is key. 

Sources: (UN Women) (UNODC) (The Guardian) (El País) (CNN)

See also: Milestone moments in global women’s history

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