UN: Every 10 minutes, one woman dies at the hands of a loved one

According to the report, around 85,000 women and girls were murdered worldwide in 2023, of which 60 percent of these murders (51,100) were committed by a partner or relative. In 2022, this number was 48,800. For comparison, 12 percent of murdered men died at the hands of a partner or relative. Most male homicides occur outside the home.

Data shows that 140 women and girls die every day at the hands of a partner or family member, or one every 10 minutes.

The highest rates of murder by a partner or family member were recorded in Africa, South and North America, and Oceania.

In Europe and the Americas, the majority of women were killed by an intimate partner – 64 percent and 58 percent respectively. In other regions of the world, perpetrators were primarily relatives.

The authors of the report noted that the number of countries disclosing data on murders of women and girls committed by a partner or other family member has been decreasing for four years. Of the 75 countries that provided information in 2020, only half provided it in 2023.

“Violence against women and girls is not inevitable, it is preventable,” the executive director said UN Sima Bahous. She emphasized that there is a need, among others, appropriate legislation, greater government accountability and a culture of zero tolerance for violence.

The report was published as part of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, celebrated on November 25. It is the 25th anniversary of this international day, officially adopted in 1999 by the United Nations.