85,000 women, girls intentionally killed in 2023 – UN

A new report by UN Women, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, says approximately 85,000 women and girls were intentionally killed in 2023, with 60 per cent — over 51,000 — falling victim to intimate partners or family members.

It means that one woman or girl is being killed every 10 minutes.

The new report released on Monday, 25th November, 2024, to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, noted the pervasive and deadly scale of femicide worldwide, identifying Africa as the region with the highest rates.

The report’s release coincides with the launch of the 16 Days of Activism campaign that called on global leaders to dismantle systemic violence against women and girls.

According to the report, “Africa recorded the highest rates of intimate partner and family-related femicides, followed by the Americas and Oceania. In Europe and the Americas, most victims were killed by their intimate partners, while in other regions, family members were the primary perpetrators.”

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Sima Bahous, the UN Women Executive Director, believed that femicide and violence against women are preventable.

Bahous stated that violence against women and girls is not inevitable but preventable, saying that they need robust legislation, improved data collection, greater government accountability, a zero-tolerance culture, and increased funding for women’s rights organisations and institutional bodies.

As the world approaches the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 2025, Bahous stated that it is time for world leaders to unite, act with urgency, recommit, and channel the resources needed to end the crisis once and for all.

Similarly, Executive Director of UNODC, Ghada Waly, stressed the importance of strong systems to combat the issue.

Waly stressed that the new femicide report highlights the urgent need for robust criminal justice systems that hold perpetrators accountable while ensuring adequate support for survivors, including access to safe and transparent reporting mechanisms.

At the same time, she said that they must confront and dismantle the gender biases, power imbalances, and harmful norms that perpetuate violence against women.

The 16 Days of Activism campaign has sparked a global social media movement, using the hashtags #NoExcuse and #16Days, aiming to raise awareness and demand action.