1 Woman Killed Every 10 Minutes By Intimate Partner Or Family: UN
A joint report by UN Women and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has shed light on the harrowing prevalence of femicide—the most extreme form of violence against women and girls—across the globe. Titled Femicides in 2023: Global Estimates of Intimate Partner/Family Member Femicides, the report reveals that the violence remains a pervasive crisis requiring urgent action.
According to the report, 85,000 women and girls were intentionally killed worldwide in 2023, with 60 percent—approximately 51,100 deaths—committed by intimate partners or family members. The grim data indicates that, on average, 140 women and girls are killed daily by someone close to them, equating to one life lost every 10 minutes.
Africa recorded the highest rates of intimate partner and family-related femicide in 2023, followed by the Americas and Oceania. Regional trends highlighted differences in perpetrators: in Europe and the Americas, most victims (64 percent and 58 percent, respectively) were killed by intimate partners. In other regions, family members were the primary perpetrators of such crimes.
UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous emphasized the need for immediate action to combat this crisis. “Violence against women and girls is not inevitable—it is preventable. We need robust legislation, improved data collection, greater government accountability, a zero-tolerance culture, and increased funding for women’s rights organizations and institutional bodies,” she said. Bahous urged global leaders to act decisively, especially as the world approaches the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 2025.
Ghada Waly, Executive Director of UNODC, called for strengthened criminal justice systems to hold perpetrators accountable. “The new femicide report highlights the urgent need for strong criminal justice systems…while dismantling gender biases, power imbalances, and harmful norms that perpetuate violence against women,” she said, stressing the importance of immediate action as part of the ongoing 16 Days of Activism campaign.
With the 2025 milestone for the Beijing Platform for Action and the looming Sustainable Development Goals deadline, global stakeholders are urged to recommit to ending impunity and preventing violence against women. This critical juncture offers a decisive opportunity to protect lives, uphold women’s rights, and advance gender equality worldwide.
