Africa tops global femicide table, Americas, Oceania follow closely – UN report

Latest report from the United Nations Women and UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) shows that Africa had the highest rates of femicide by intimate partners and family members in 2023, with the Americas and Oceania following closely.

The report, released on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, highlights the pervasive and deadly scale of femicide worldwide, Persecondnews reports.

Femicide refers to the intentional killing of a woman or girl because of her gender.

It is often a form of gender-based violence, typically perpetrated by intimate partners, family members, or others in positions of power over the victim.

It is considered the most extreme form of violence against women and girls and includes acts such as domestic abuse killings, honour-based violence, dowry-related deaths, and other forms of gender-based discrimination and control.

A staggering 85,000 female lives were lost to intentional homicide globally in 2023.

The majority of these victims, over 51,000, were killed by their intimate partners or family members, which translates to one woman or girl being killed every 10 minutes.

This equates to 140 women killed per day, or one every 10 minutes, by those closest to them.

According to the report: “In Europe and the Americas, most victims were killed by their intimate partners, while in other regions, family members were the primary perpetrators.

“The home remains the most dangerous place for women and girls in terms of the risk of lethal victimisation.

“While men were four times more likely than women to fall victim to homicide—forming 80 percent of all murder victims last year—they more often than not died at the hands of a stranger.

“Africa had the most severe toll, with 21,700 women killed by someone close to them in 2023.

“The lowest femicide rates were in Europe (2,300 murders in absolute numbers) and Asia.

“Despite efforts in some countries to prevent femicides, they remain “at alarmingly high levels” due to deep-rooted gender inequality and damaging stereotypes.”

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

Bahous said: “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 organisations and institutional bodies.

“As we approach the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 2025, it is time for world leaders to unite, act with urgency, recommit, and channel the resources needed to end this crisis once and for all.”

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

Waly said: “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, we must confront and dismantle the gender biases, power imbalances, and harmful norms that perpetuate violence against women.”