UN Report Reveals Alarming Rate of Femicide: 50,000 Women Killed by Intimate Partners or Family Members in 2024
A recent report by the United Nations (UN) has shed light on the disturbing trend of femicide, with approximately 50,000 women being killed by an intimate partner or family member in 2024, translating to one woman being killed every 10 minutes on average. The global organization has expressed disappointment at the lack of significant progress in combating femicide.
Key Findings
- Last year, 83,000 women and girls were intentionally killed worldwide, according to a report published by UN Women and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
- The report highlights that 60% of these victims were killed by intimate partners or family members, which amounts to 50,000 women and girls, or 137 murders per day on average.
- In contrast, the percentage of murders committed by intimate partners or family members against men stood at 11%.
- Although this number is slightly lower than the one recorded in 2023, it does not indicate a real decrease in the number of crimes committed against women, as it is largely due to differences in data availability from one country to another.
Global Distribution of Femicide
The report notes that these crimes were recorded on all continents, with Africa experiencing the highest number of cases last year, with approximately 22,000 cases.
Expert Insights
- Sarah Hendricks, Director of the Policy Division at UN Women, emphasized that femicides do not occur in isolation but are often "the extension of a continuum of violence, which begins with controlling behaviors, threats, and harassment, including online."
- She added that "to prevent these crimes, we need to apply laws that recognize how violence manifests in the lives of women and girls, both online and offline, and hold perpetrators accountable before it escalates to murder."
- John Brandolino, Acting Executive Director of UNODC, stressed that the report highlights the need to improve prevention strategies and criminal justice responses to femicide. He noted that "the home remains a dangerous, and sometimes deadly, place for many women and girls around the world."
The report serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for collective action to address the root causes of femicide and ensure that women and girls can live free from violence and fear.
