Domestic Violence Is The Most Common Killer Of Women Around The World
The most dangerous
place for women is in their own homes, a new report from the United Nations concludes. The U.N. Office on
Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released the “Global Study on Homicide: Gender-related Killing of Women and
Girls” on Sunday to coincide with the International
Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
The report analyzed the
violence perpetrated against women worldwide in 2017, looking at intimate
partner violence and family-related killings such as dowry- and
honor-related murders. Last year, 87,000
women were murdered around the world, and more than half (50,000 or 58 percent)
were killed by partners or family members. Over a third (30,000) of those
intentionally killed last year were murdered by a current or former intimate
partner. This means that, globally, six women are killed every hour by someone
they know.
U.N. Secretary-General
António Guterres described violence against women as a global pandemic in a Sunday statement marking the international day of
recognition. “It is a moral affront
to all women and girls, a mark of shame on all our societies and a major
obstacle to inclusive, equitable and sustainable development,” he said. “At its
core, violence against women and girls is the manifestation of a profound lack
of respect ― a failure by men to recognize the inherent equality and dignity of
women. It is an issue of fundamental human rights.”
The U.N. report also
highlighted that women are much more likely to die from domestic violence
than men are. According to the study, 82 percent of intimate partner homicide
victims are women and 18 percent are men. “While the vast
majority of homicide victims are men, women continue to pay the highest price
as a result of gender inequality, discrimination and negative stereotypes. They
are also the most likely to be killed by intimate partners and family,” UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov said. The study suggested
that violence against women has increased in the last five years, drawing on
data from 2012 in which 48,000 (47 percent) of female homicides were perpetrated
by intimate partners or family members.
Geographically, Asia
had the most female homicides (20,000) perpetrated by intimate partners or
family members in 2017, followed by Africa (19,000), North and South America
(8,000), Europe (3,000) and Oceania (300). The U.N. does point out that because
the intimate partner and family-related homicide rate is 3.1 per 10,000 female
population, Africa is actually the continent where women are at the greatest
risk of being murdered by a partner or family member.
Head over to the U.N. study to read more.
