Every ten minutes, somewhere in the world, a woman or girl is killed—not in war or at the hands of strangers, but by the men who should love them most, says a new United Nations report. In 2023, an estimated 85,000 women and girls were intentionally killed worldwide, and 60 percent of these homicides were perpetrated by intimate partners or family members. This translates to 140 women and girls being murdered daily, or one every 10 minutes. Globally, nearly 40 percent of all murders of women are committed by intimate partners. 

Africa reported the highest rates of intimate partner and family-related femicides, followed by the Americas and Oceania. Regional patterns show that in Europe and the Americas, the majority of women killed within domestic settings (64 percent and 58 percent, respectively) were victims of intimate partners. In other regions, family members were the predominant perpetrators.

Male violence against women is a global crisis. A World Health Organization-led study revealed that one in three women worldwide has experienced physical or sexual violence in her lifetime. In some regions, domestic violence and femicide take on other names, like so-called “honor” killings. “Honor” killings are an often overlooked form of domestic violence that reduces a woman’s life to how her behavior reflects on the reputation of her male family members.

In several countries in the Middle East and North Africa region, there are legal provisions that effectively exonerate fathers or husbands who commit “honor” killings under specific circumstances. For example, in Iraq, under penal code Article 41, husbands may physically “discipline” their wives and face no repercussions. The Iraqi Penal Code also states that if a man 'catches his wife in the act of adultery and kills her immediately,’ he is punishable by a detention period not exceeding three years.

In Latin America, femicide remains widespread. In 2023, Mexico recorded over 3,000 murders of women, with estimates suggesting that up to 50 percent of these cases exhibit characteristics of femicide. This indicates that more than 1,500 women were likely killed due to their gender.

Sofia Navarrete Zur, leading a gender-based violence investigation in Mexico, highlights another layer of this crisis: technology. Digital violence, she explains, has become a key but overlooked driver of violence against women.

“Technology-facilitated violence has created a new reality: the tools for perpetuating intimate partner violence are now in our pockets,” Zur told More to Her Story. “Evidence suggests these trends not only contribute to online violence against women but are also linked to offline violence. Technology has become a powerful avenue for men to maintain control and continue to abuse women, even when physical barriers are in place.”

The United Nations has called violence against women “the most widespread and pervasive human rights violation globally.”

“Violence against women and girls is not inevitable—it is preventable. We need robust legislation, improved data collection, greater government accountability, a zero-tolerance culture, and increased funding for women’s rights organizations and institutional bodies,” said UN Women Executive Director, Sima Bahous.