Global Femicide Crisis: UN Report Highlights Urgent Need for Action

About 85,000 women and girls were intentionally killed in 2023, with over 60%—more than 51,000—falling victim to violence perpetrated by intimate partners or family members. This harrowing data comes from a report jointly released by UN Women and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

Released on November 25, the report draws attention to the staggering scale of femicide worldwide. On average, one woman or girl loses her life to violence every 10 minutes. The release coincides with the start of the 16 Days of Activism campaign, a global initiative urging leaders to address systemic violence against women and girls.

Africa emerged as the region with the highest rates of intimate partner and family-related femicides, underscoring the severe vulnerabilities faced by women and girls on the continent. The Americas and Oceania followed, while Europe and the Americas saw intimate partners as the predominant perpetrators. In other regions, family members were more often the culprits.

UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous underscored that femicide is preventable and called for urgent measures. “Violence against women and girls is not inevitable—it is preventable,” Bahous emphasized. She advocated for robust legislation, better data collection, stronger government accountability, and increased funding for women’s rights organizations.

With the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action approaching in 2025, Bahous urged global leaders to “unite, act with urgency, and commit resources to end this crisis once and for all.”

Ghada Waly, Executive Director of UNODC, highlighted the necessity of reinforcing criminal justice systems to tackle the crisis. “The new femicide report underscores the urgent need for robust systems to hold perpetrators accountable while supporting survivors,” Waly stated. She also called for dismantling harmful norms and gender biases that perpetuate violence.