(VOVWORLD) - Femicide, the most extreme form of violence against women and girls, remains pervasive in the world, said the report Femicides in 2023: Global Estimates of Intimate Partner/Family Member Femicides by UN Women and UNODC.
The report, which was released on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, November 25, said that globally, 85,000 women and girls were killed intentionally in 2023. 60 per cent of these homicides - 51,000 - were committed by an intimate partner or other family member. 140 women and girls die every day at the hands of their partner or a close relative, which means one woman or girl is killed every 10 minutes.
In 2023, Africa recorded the highest rates of intimate partner and family-related femicide, followed by the Americas and then by Oceania.
UN Women Executive Director, Sima Bahous said that 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.