Every 10 minutes, a woman is killed by a loved one

At least 85,000 women and young girls were intentionally killed around the world in 2023, most of them by relatives, according to figures published Monday by the UN, “an alarming level” for murders which could nevertheless be “avoided”. “The home remains the most dangerous place” for women, 60% of them having been victims of “their spouse or other members of their family”, notes this report from the Vienna Office of the United Nations against Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the New York organization UN Women. That’s 140 every day or one every ten minutes.

A phenomenon “which crosses borders, affects all social categories and age groups”, the Caribbean, Central America and Africa being the most affected regions ahead of Asia. On the American continent and in Europe, femicides are mainly perpetrated by the partner, while in the rest of the world, family members are most often involved.

Many victims reported physical, sexual or psychological violence before their death, according to data available in certain countries, including France. “This suggests that many murders could be avoided”, underlines the study, for example by “judicial injunction measures”.

In regions where it is possible to establish a trend, the rate of feminicides has stagnated or declined only slightly since 2010, demonstrating that this form of violence “is rooted in practices and norms” and is difficult to eradicate, notes the UNODC, which analyzed figures collected in 107 countries.

Despite the efforts undertaken in several countries, “feminicides remain at an alarming level,” note the authors. But “this is not inevitable,” according to the director of UN Women, Sima Bahous, quoted in a press release, who calls on countries to toughen up the legislative arsenal and better collect data.

Witness, victim or perpetrator of violence?