UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The deadliest place for women is the home, with an average of 140 women and girls killed by their intimate partners or family members every day last year, two U.N. agencies reported Monday.
According to UN Women and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, approximately 51,100 women and girls will die at the hands of their intimate partners or family members worldwide in 2023, up from an estimated 48,800 victims in 2022. increased.
The report, released on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, said the increase was mainly due to more data available from countries, and not an increase in the number of killings.
However, the organizations stressed that “women and girls everywhere continue to be affected by this extreme form of gender-based violence, and no region is excluded.” And they said, “The home is the most dangerous place for women and girls.”
Africa has the highest number of intimate partner and family murders, with an estimated 21,700 victims in 2023, the report said. Africa also had the highest number of victims relative to its population size, with 2.9 victims per 100,000 people.
Last year, the number of female victims was as high as 1.6 per 100,000 people in the Americas, and 1.5 per 100,000 people in Oceania. Incidence was significantly lower in Asia with 0.8 victims per 100,000 people and in Europe with 0.6 victims per 100,000 people.
According to the report, intentional killings of women in the private sphere in Europe and the Americas are primarily committed by intimate partners.
In contrast, the vast majority of male homicides occur outside the home and family.
“Despite the preponderance of men and boys, The majority of murder victims“Women and girls continue to be disproportionately affected by deadly violence in the private sphere,” the report states.
“While it is estimated that 80% of all homicide victims in 2023 will be men and 20% women, fatal domestic violence affects women far more than men. Almost 60% of women intentionally killed in 2023 will be victims of “homicide of an intimate partner or family member.”
Despite the report, Efforts to prevent femicide The number of girls murdered by country “remains alarmingly high.”
“Such violence often occurs as a result of repeated episodes of gender-based violence, meaning it is preventable through timely and effective intervention,” the agencies said.
