More than five women or girls were killed every hour in 2021 by someone in their own family, a UN report has revealed.
Of the 81,000 women and girls intentionally killed last year, 45,000 – around 56 per cent – died at the hands of intimate partners or other family members the report has revealed - proving home is not a safe place for many women and girls.
The shock report is a horrifying reminder that violence against women and girls is a human rights violations being carried out on a worldwide scale.
READ MORE :
Here, in Manchester over a two year period between 2019 and 2020 - a mum was murdered by her former cage fighter ex-partner, and a 26-year-old trainee nurse was strangled to death by her boyfriend's brother. These were just two of 11 women killed at the hands of men - many of whom were partners or ex-partners.
“Behind every femicide statistic is the story of an individual woman or girl who has been failed. These deaths are preventable – the tools and the knowledge to do so already exist,” said Sima Bahous, Executive Director at UN Women.
The figures also show that the overall number of female murders has remained largely unchanged over the past decade. According to the report, for roughly four in 10 women and girls killed intentionally in 2021, insufficient information exists to identify their deaths as femicide.
“No woman or girl should fear for her life because of who she is,” said Ghada Waly, the UNODC Executive Director. "To stop all forms of gender-related killings of women and girls, we need to count every victim, everywhere, and improve understanding of the risks and drivers of femicide so we can design better and more effective prevention and criminal justice responses.”
Gender-related killings, as well as other forms of violence against women and girls, are not inevitable, the report stressed.
A combination of preventative measures were highlighted, such as early identification of women affected by violence, and access to survivor-centred support and protection.
Tacking the root causes, including harmful masculinities and social norms, and eliminating structural gender inequalities is also seen as necessary. Strengthening data collection on femicides is also a critical step to inform related policies and programmes.
“Women’s rights organizations are already monitoring data and advocating for policy change and accountability,” Ms. Bahous remarked. “Now we need the concerted action across society that will fulfil women’s and girls’ right to feel and to be safe, at home, on the streets, and everywhere.”
Sarah Hendriks, Director of the Programme, Policy and Intergovernmental Division at UN Women focused on activism, saying evidence shows countries with strong women's rights movements have made greater progress in preventing and reducing violence against women. “We certainly call on everyone to play their part, knowing that violence against women and girls touches all of our lives across every country."
Ms. Hendriks outlined four ways the international community show support by providing long-term and predictable funding, amplifying the voices of diverse feminist women’s movements, as well as promoting the full and equal leadership and participation of women and girls in decision-making and strengthening protection mechanisms to prevent and eliminate violence against women human rights defenders and women's rights activists.
The report will inform the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.
The annual international campaign began on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs through Human Rights Day on 10 December.
Read more of today's top stories here
READ MORE:
- Struggling neighbours in Salford's 'biggest eyesore' face 'scandalous' rent hike - on Christmas Eve
- Police release CCTV footage after three attempted kidnappings that saw schoolgirls targeted
- How the Devil Dog Mobster's reign of terror ended in a hail of bullets at the wheel of his £50k Mercedes
- Loan sharks and drug dealer caught in a dead end among Greater Manchester criminals waking up behind bars
- Village rocked by murder of devoted dad found shot and attacked with acid in quiet street
