According to a study by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and UN Women entitled Gender-Related Killings of Women and Girls (Femicide/Feminicide), almost 89,000 women and girls were intentionally killed in 2022. Despite a decline in the overall number of homicides, the data for 2022 appears to indicate an increase in homicides against women.
Most of these homicides of women and girls are gender-specific, and more than half of all homicides of women are committed by intimate partners or other family members. This means that, on average, more than 133 women or girls are killed by someone in their own home every day.
According to the study, the risk of gender-based violence and femicide continues to increase as a result of conflicts, humanitarian emergencies, environmental and economic crises, which is why global action is needed to prevent and stop violence. In addition to prevention and resources to support those affected, better data collection and research on violence against women is also needed to find effective solutions.
The study traces developments in recent years and emphasises the need to focus more strongly on suitable prevention measures.
