Gender-related killings of women and girls (femicide/feminicide)

In 2021, an estimated 81,100 women and girls across the world were victims of intentional killings. The brief adds that more than half (56 per cent) of all female homicides recorded in 2021 were committed by intimate partners or other family members of the victims.

With an estimated 17,800 victims, Asia recorded the largest number of female homicides by intimate partner or other family members in 2021. Africa was a close second with 17,200 such homicides, followed by the Americas with 7,500 incidences.

Africa had the highest rate of killings of women and girls (by intimate partners or family members) per 100,000 female population – 2.5 homicides per 100,000 females. It was followed by the Americas (1.4 homicides) and Oceania (1.2 homicides).

As per the report, Europe and the Americas were the only regions which had adequate data to estimate and track homicides of women and girls by intimate partners or family members over a period of time.

Pointing to the problem of data gaps, the brief states that accurate information on female homicides from Africa, Asia and Oceania is still hard to source. Although data on overall homicides are widely available, gendered data on homicide victims in these regions are recorded poorly.

Between 2020 and 2021, killing of women and girls by intimate partners or family members increased by 9.9 per cent in Central America and the Caribbean and by 5.3 per cent in Southern Europe. The incidences declined in Western Europe by 10.5 per cent, in Eastern Europe by 3.4 per cent and in South America by 1.7 per cent.

Only 133 of the 193 Member States of the United Nations had reported data that distinguished between male and female victims in 2021. Even fewer Member States (97 out of 193) provided information on the relationship between the victims and perpetrators of the homicides. This means four out of 10 female homicides in 2021 could not be examined to check whether they were gender-related killings.

Although region-wise data is unavailable, trend data from certain Asian and African countries suggest a gradual decline in gender-related killings. The brief illustrates this with the example of India where dowry-related violent deaths as well as those related to gender or even accusations of witchcraft reduced over the previous decade.

Information on homicides involving marginalized groups such as aboriginal and indigenous women and girls is extremely limited, notes the brief. Data from Canada and Australia – sourced from a report by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights – suggested that women of indigenous communities suffer from a high amount of homicidal violence.

The brief recommends five areas around which responses to gender-related killings can be undertaken: collection of improved data and evidence; reformation of laws, policies and protocols; police and judicial responses that centre the survivor; the strengthening of civil society and women’s rights organizations; and preventive measures like early intervention and assessment of risk to women.

Focus and Factoids by Violina Mahanta.

PARI Library’s health archive project is part of an initiative supported by the Azim Premji University to develop a free-access repository of health-related reports relevant to rural India.