60 percent of female homicides committed by partners, kin

MANILA, Philippines — Sixty percent of all female homicides are committed by intimate partners or other family members, according to a report released by the UN Women and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) yesterday.

Released on the 25th anniversary of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the report revealed that in 2023, 140 women and girls worldwide died every day at the hands of their partner or close relative, which means one woman killed every 10 minutes. 

The UNODC said the report “Femicides in 2023: Global Estimates of Intimate Partner/Family Member Femicides” confirmed disturbing, but well-known, facts: violence against women remains widespread, including in its most extreme manifestation, femicide, which is universal – transcending borders, socioeconomic statuses and age groups, but its severity varies regionally.

The available data compiled in the report showed that globally, 85,000 women and girls were killed intentionally in 2023. Sixty percent of these homicides – 51,000 – were committed by intimate partners or other family members, or 140 women and girls a day.  

“The new femicide report highlights the urgent need for strong criminal justice systems that hold perpetrators accountable, while ensuring adequate support for survivors, including access to safe and transparent reporting mechanisms,” said Ghada Waly, executive director of UNODC.

Despite the alarming numbers, the lack of consistent and comprehensive data remains a significant challenge.

Only 37 countries reported data on intimate partner and family-related femicides in 2023, a sharp decline from 75 countries in 2020. This data gap hampers efforts to monitor trends and enforce accountability for these crimes. 

UN Women and UNODC stressed the need for systematic data collection as part of a broader strategy to address violence against women. Accurate and transparent data is essential to inform policy, track progress and ensure governments remain accountable for their commitments to gender equality.

The report also coincided with the start of the annual 16 Days of Activism campaign, which runs from Nov. 25 to Dec. 10. 

This year, the UNiTE campaign is drawing attention to the alarming escalation of violence against women under the theme, “Every 10 minutes, a woman is killed.”

UN Women emphasized the need for “robust legislation, improved data collection, greater government accountability, a zero-tolerance culture and increased funding for women’s rights organizations and institutional bodies.”