In 2023, there were 85,000 intentional deaths of women and girls worldwide. 60 percent of these homicides—51,100—were committed by an intimate partner or a family member.
According to the data, a partner or close relative kills 140 women and girls every day, which equates to one death every 10 minutes.
In 2023, Africa recorded the highest rates of intimate partner and family-related femicide, followed by the Americas and then by Oceania.
In Europe and the Americas, most women killed in the domestic sphere (64 percent and 58 percent, respectively) were victims of intimate partners, while elsewhere, family members were the primary perpetrators.
"Violence against women and girls is not inevitable—it is preventable. We need robust legislation, improved data collection, greater government accountability, a zero-tolerance culture, and increased funding for women’s rights organizations and institutional bodies," highlighted UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous.
"As we approach the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 2025, it is time for world leaders to unite and act with urgency, recommit and channel the resources needed to end this crisis once and for all."
“The new femicide report highlights the urgent need for strong criminal justice systems that hold perpetrators accountable, while ensuring adequate support for survivors, including access to safe and transparent reporting mechanisms,” said Ghada Waly, Executive Director of UNODC.
“At the same time, we must confront and dismantle the gender biases, power imbalances, and harmful norms that perpetuate violence against women. As this year’s 16 Days of Activism Campaign begins, we must act now to protect women’s lives.”
Given the rapidly approaching five-year deadline to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action in 2025, there is a critical opportunity to mobilize all stakeholders to take decisive and urgent action for women's rights and gender equality.
This includes ending impunity and preventing all forms of violence against women and girls.
Through the 16 Days of Activism campaign, UN Women encourages decision-makers to revitalize their commitments and to take accountability and action.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, with an official commemoration event in New York on November 25, 2024.
The event will highlight best practices of investment to prevent violence against women, gaps and challenges, and the way forward.
Femicide, or feminicide, is a term for the murdering of females, often because of their gender.
Both sexes can perpetrate it, but men commit it more frequently.