Monday, November 25, 2024 -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.
This is according to a new report by UN Women and the United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime.
This equates to one woman or girl being killed every 10 minutes.
The report was released on Monday, November 25, to mark the
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. It coincides
with the launch of the 16 Days of Activism campaign, which calls on global
leaders to dismantle systemic violence against women and girls.
The report highlights the scale of femicide worldwide, identifying
Africa as the region with the highest rates.
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.”
UN Women Executive Director, Sima Bahous, stressed that femicide and violence
against women are preventable.
Bahous stated, “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.”
Executive Director of UNODC, Ghada Waly, stressed the importance of
strong systems to combat the issue.
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