UN report reveals global rise in women’s murders
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The United Nations recently released a report showing that approximately 137 women and girls are murdered by a partner or family member each day worldwide.
The report, presented at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, details a global crisis of femicide, with Africa experiencing the highest rates of violence against women.
While Europe has the lowest rate of femicide globally, 0.5 victims per 100,000 women, the region is seeing new forms of digital violence threaten a recent 35% decrease in killings over the last decade. Several European nations are responding by updating their legal frameworks. Italy now recognizes femicide as a distinct criminal offense punishable by life imprisonment and offers increased support to the children of victims.
Norway and the Czech Republic have redefined rape to focus solely on the absence of consent, while Belgium and Moldova have explicitly added femicide to their criminal codes. Beyond legislation, countries are also implementing preventative measures. Germany now publishes annual reports on gender-based violence, and France is equipping law enforcement with tools to quickly assess risk.
Canada has introduced a law that shifts the burden of proof in bail hearings for strangulation cases, requiring the accused to demonstrate why they shouldn’t be detained, recognizing strangulation as a key precursor to femicide. South Africa declared femicide a “national disaster,” and the UN is working to provide support to vulnerable women in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime.
