A woman dies every 10 minutes: The heartbreaking reality of the global genocide of women
Launched on the occasion of its 25th anniversary International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Womenreport sheds light on the global crisis of femicide and calls for urgent action.
“The epidemic of violence against women and girls shames humanity” Secretary General António Guterres in his address for the day. “The world must heed this call. We need urgent action for justice and accountability and support for advocacy.”
The report also coincides with the start of the annual 16 Days of Activism campaign, which runs from November 25 to December 10.
This year, UNITE campaign is drawing attention to the alarming escalation of violence against women with the theme “Every 10 minutes a woman is killed. #NotSorry. UNITE to end violence against women.”
A universal problem with regional disparities
Genocide transcends borders, socioeconomic status, and culture, but its severity varies by region.
According to the report, Africa records the highest rates of domestic-related intimate partner and femicides, with 21,700 women killed by 2023followed by Americas and Oceania.
In Europe and America, most victims are murdered by intimate partners, including 64% and 58% of casesrespectively. In contrast, women in Africa and Asia are more likely to be killed by family members than by intimate partners, reflecting the different cultural and social dynamics that lead to this discrimination.
Serious gaps in data and accountability
Despite the alarming numbers, the lack of consistent and comprehensive data remains a significant challenge.
Only 37 countries reported data on intimate partner and family-related femicides in 2023, sharp decline from 75 countries in 2020. This data gap hinders efforts to monitor trends and enforce accountability for these crimes.
United Nations Women And UNODC highlights the need for systematic data collection as part of a broader strategy to address violence against women. Accurate and transparent data is essential to inform policy, track progress and ensure governments remain accountable for their commitments to gender equality.
Poster created by children from Ixtapaluca, State of Mexico, alluding to the elimination of violence against women and girls.
Moving forward: A global mission
As the world approaches the 30th anniversary of Day Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action by 2025, with a fast-approaching five-year deadline to achieve the target Sustainable development goals (SDG), special Goal 5 on gender equality, the report serves as a call to action.
“Violence against women and girls is inevitable – it is preventable,” said Sima Bahous. UN Women Executive Director.
She emphasized the need for “strong legislation, improved data collection, greater government accountability, a culture of zero tolerance and increased funding for organizations and institutional bodies.” for women’s rights”.
Ghada Waly added: “The new report on femicide highlights the urgent need for strong criminal justice systems to hold perpetrators accountable, while ensuring adequate support for survivors, including access to secure and transparent reporting mechanisms.” UNODC Executive Director.
“As this year’s 16 Days of Activism begins, we must act now to protect women’s lives,” Ms. Bahous concluded.
