A sexist murder every 10 minutes: the figure behind inequality and sexism

Vienna/A woman or girl is murdered every ten minutes in the world by her partner or family member. With this resounding figure, the UN summarizes the seriousness of sexist violence, in a report that reminds us that the problem lies in inequality between women and men and warns that the rate of femicides has not decreased.

Of the 85,000 women and girls victims of intentional homicides in 2023, some 51,100, 60%, were at the hands of their partners or family members. It’s 140 a day. Six every hour. In contrast, only 12% of the men murdered that year were at the hands of people in their domestic environment.

For this reason, in the report on femicides in 2023, published on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the UN insists that “the home is the most dangerous place for women.”

Not all of those 85,000 homicides, which do not include women killed in wars and conflicts, are femicides, a concept that defines the murder of a woman because she is a woman. But it is true that the vast majority of women murdered for this reason are at the hands of their partners and family members, explains Angela Me, one of those responsible for the report, to EFE.

The vast majority of women murdered for this reason are at the hands of their partners and family members, explains Angela Me, one of those responsible for the report.

In any case, the UN points out that beyond the area in which women are murdered by men, the reasons are the same.

“They have their origin in social norms and stereotypes that consider women subordinate to men, as well as discrimination against women and girls, inequality and unequal power relations between women and men in society,” diagnoses the UN. The report updates the figures of a reality that has not changed compared to the analysis that the UN has been carrying out for years.

“Despite the efforts of many countries to prevent femicides, these crimes continue at alarmingly high levels,” the report denounces. Femicides in 2023 prepared by UN Women and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The report provides data from three countries with different sociopolitical realities, France, Colombia and South Africa, to report that between 22 and 37% of women murdered by their partners had previously reported that they suffered physical or psychological violence.

Thus, the UN points out that many femicides could be prevented through timely interventions, such as restraining orders against men who abuse their partners. But, beyond police and judicial measures, the UN demands deeper changes in society.

“We must confront and dismantle sexist prejudices, power imbalances and harmful norms that perpetuate violence against women,” says Ghada Waly, executive director of UNODC.

“We must confront and dismantle sexist biases, power imbalances and harmful norms that perpetuate violence against women”

The report regrets the enormous decline in the number of countries, half now than in 2020, that offer data on sexist murders within the couple, something that makes it difficult to end this violence.

Angela Me indicates that the reasons are multiple: some countries are delaying the presentation of 2023 data and others, which in the past made efforts in this regard, now do not have the capacity to do so or do not consider it a priority.

Beyond those committed by couples or family members, the UN indicates that there are other types of femicides, such as the murders of prostituted women, victims of trafficking, as well as women murdered by people outside the family after suffering sexual violence or victims with history of harassment. In France and South Africa, countries taken as a reference, they account for 5 and 9% of total femicides.

Angela reminds me that it is very difficult to measure the volume of femicides outside the closest area (couples and families) because very few countries separate these data. Although men kill women in all regions of the world, the UN detects some differences.

While in Europe and America femicides in the domestic sphere are committed mainly by intimate partners (64 and 58% respectively), in the rest of the world women and girls are more likely to be murdered by family members.

In 2023, Africa was the continent with the highest femicide rates, with 2.9 homicides per 100,000 women, followed by America (1.6), Oceania (1.5), Asia (0.8) and Europe (0. 6). On the American continent, 8,300 women were murdered last year by their partners or family members. In Europe there were 2,300.

On the American continent, 8,300 women were murdered last year by their partners or family members. In Europe there were 2,300

The lack of data also makes it difficult to establish a clear trend in the evolution of the feminicide rate, but the truth is that there are hardly any changes in the trend and, if they do occur, they are very slow.

This, according to the UN, indicates that the risk factors and causes of sexist violence “are rooted in practices and norms that do not change quickly.”

In Latin America, sexist violence against women continues to be one of the most serious human rights problems. Despite legislative advances in countries such as Chile and Mexico, millions of women face physical, sexual and psychological violence daily in their homes and communities.

According to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), in 2023 at least 3,897 femicides were recorded in 27 countries in the region, equivalent to 11 women murdered every day for reasons of gender. These crimes, for the most part, remain unpunished due to cultural, social and economic factors that perpetuate inequality.

Honduras leads with the highest rate of femicides in the region: 7.2 cases per 100,000 women, followed by the Dominican Republic (2.4) and Brazil (1.4). Although countries such as Chile, Haiti and Guatemala report lower rates, the figures do not reflect the real magnitude due to deficiencies in the registration of cases.

Between 63% and 76% of women in Latin America have suffered some type of violence from partners or family members.

Honduras leads with the highest rate of femicides in the region: 7.2 cases per 100,000 women, followed by the Dominican Republic (2.4) and Brazil (1.4)

Although most countries in the region have adopted laws to prevent, punish and eradicate violence against women, implementation is poor. The lack of resources, corruption and cultural resistance make compliance with these regulations difficult. Feminist movements such as “Ni Una Menos” have been key to making the problem visible and demanding effective measures.

Chile has advanced laws, such as the Domestic Violence Law of 1994, Law 20,066 of 2005, the Gabriela Law of 2020 and the Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces Law of 2019. These regulations seek to prevent violence, punish aggressors and protect victims, including expanding the concept of femicide to encompass any gender-motivated murder.

However, in 2023, 51 femicides and 134,116 police reports of gender violence were reported, where 86% of the victims were women and girls. In addition, 51 sexual assaults occurred daily, one every 28 minutes.

Despite legal advances, state responses remain insufficient to identify and punish those responsible, generating a climate of pessimism. Recent cases, such as that of former Undersecretary of the Interior Manuel Monsalve, have highlighted the lack of effectiveness in the application of regulations, calling into question the progress achieved.

Mexico faces one of the most serious crises of gender violence in Latin America. Since 2015, an average of ten women are murdered daily. Between January and September 2024, 2,624 murders of women were reported, including 598 femicides and 2,026 intentional homicides, according to the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System.

Between January and September 2024, 2,624 murders of women were reported, including 598 femicides and 2,026 intentional homicides in Mexico

In addition, complaints reached record numbers in 2024: 214,572 cases of family violence, 4,996 of gender violence and 16,398 of rape.

The country has made significant progress in its legal framework. The General Law on Women’s Access to a Life Free of Violence, enacted in 2007, recognized various forms of violence and established protection mechanisms such as shelters and legal assistance. In 2011, Mexico classified feminicide as an autonomous crime, establishing its investigation under a specialized approach throughout the national territory.

The creation of the Gender Violence Against Women Alert (AVGM) makes it possible to respond to emergencies related to femicidal violence in high-risk areas. In 2020, the gender parity and political violence against women laws reinforced equality in democratic processes and protected women in public office. In addition, femicide investigation protocols force authorities to act with a gender perspective, although implementation remains a challenge.

Latin America faces a structural crisis in the fight against gender violence. Despite pioneering laws and powerful social movements, the lack of resources and political will limits the effectiveness of the measures.

For this reason, it is urgent to strengthen the capacities of the judicial and police systems, promote education on gender equality and guarantee accountability for aggressors. Only in this way will it be possible to reduce sexist violence and guarantee a safe environment for all women in the region.