During 2023, a woman or girl will be murdered every 10 minutes in the world, by their partner or other family member, revealed this Monday (25) the report “Femicides in 2023” by UN Women and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Femicide, also known as femicide, is the most extreme form of gender-based violence and is defined as the “intentional killing of women for being women”, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to the new UN document, 51,000 women and girls were intentionally murdered in 2023 by their partners or other family members, resulting in an average of one femicide every 10 minutes.
These 51,000 murders of women and girls committed by partners or family members represent the majority (specifically, 60%) of the 85,000 femicides recorded in 2023.
“The vast majority of intentional murders of women and girls around the world are perpetrated by an intimate partner or family member. This suggests that the home remains the most dangerous place for women and girls in terms of lethal risk to victims,” the report indicates.
Meanwhile, Africa is the region that, in 2023, recorded the highest rate of femicides committed by partners or family members: 2.9 victims per 100,000 female inhabitants.
“The regions of America and Oceania also recorded high rates of femicides committed by partners or family members in 2023, with 1.6 and 1.5 per 100 thousand inhabitants, respectively. Meanwhile, rates were significantly lower in Asia and Europe, at 0.8 and 0.6 per 100,000, respectively”, details the UN.
Faced with this problem that affects all regions of the planet, Sima Bahous, executive director of UN Women, stated in a statement that, among other things, stronger laws and better data collection are necessary.
“Violence against women and girls can be prevented. We need strong laws, better data collection, greater government accountability, a culture of zero tolerance and more funding for women’s rights organizations and institutional bodies,” Bahous highlighted in the statement.
In turn, Ghada Waly, executive director of UNODC, highlighted the need for improvements in criminal justice systems.
“The new report on femicides highlights the urgent need for strong criminal justice systems that hold those responsible accountable while ensuring adequate support for survivors, including access to safe and transparent reporting mechanisms,” commented Waly.
“We must confront and dismantle gender biases, power inequalities and harmful patterns that perpetuate violence against women,” he added.
In relation to this, UN Women started on Monday, within the scope of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence” campaign.
With this campaign, the UN makes an appeal to “revitalize commitments, demand accountability and implementation of measures from those responsible for decision-making”, reported UN Women.
This content was originally published in A woman dies every 10 minutes as a result of partners or family members, says the UN on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil

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