UN study finds woman killed by partner, family every ten minutes
The report defines femicide—the intentional killing of women motivated by gender—as the “most brutal and extreme manifestation” of violence against women and girls.
The research estimates that roughly 50,000 women and girls worldwide were murdered by intimate partners or family members last year, including fathers, mothers, uncles, and brothers.
This equates to an average of 137 women or girls killed daily by someone in their family.
“Current and former intimate partners are by far the most likely perpetrators of femicide, accounting for an average of 60 percent of all intimate partner and family-related killings,” the study noted.
Regionally, Africa reports the highest number of female victims, with an estimated 22,600 killed by partners or family members. Asia and Europe recorded the lowest figures. Researchers emphasized that femicide represents a global crisis with far-reaching impacts. “Behind each number, there is a woman or girl whose life has been brutally ended because of male violence, misogyny, and social norms that tolerate and perpetuate violence against women and girls,” the report stated.
The study also highlights that certain groups of women face higher risks. Women in politics, journalism, and human rights advocacy often experience targeted acts of violence, sometimes resulting in death. According to an Asia-Pacific survey, one in four women journalists and one in three female parliamentarians worldwide reported receiving online threats of physical harm or death. Indigenous women in Canada are five times more likely to be killed than non-Indigenous women.
Trans and gender-diverse people are also affected, with the Trans Murder Monitoring 2023 report finding that 94% of the 321 recorded murders involved trans women or trans feminine individuals. Researchers noted that these figures likely underestimate the true scale, as not all victims are identified as trans or gender-diverse in official reports.
Technology is increasingly used as a tool for coercive control prior to femicides, with three in four victims having been stalked by their perpetrator. Researchers warned that “an increasing number of victims were killed as a result of their online presence.”
The report cautioned that the true scale of femicide is likely much higher, as about four in ten intentional murders of women and girls cannot be classified as femicide due to differences in national crime recording and investigative practices. “While the numbers presented in the report are alarmingly high, they are the tip of the iceberg,” the researchers said, emphasizing that many victims remain uncounted.
Experts stressed that femicide is often the culmination of repeated, escalating gender-based violence that could be prevented through early intervention. “Initiatives that focus on primary prevention, changing social norms, and engaging whole communities to create zero tolerance for violence against women work best in preventing gender-related killings,” the study concluded, highlighting the crucial role of police and justice systems in addressing the issue.
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