Gender-related killings of women and girls (femicide/feminicide)*

Global estimates of gender-related killings of women and girls in the private sphere in 2021 Improving data to improve responses

Authors: UNODC and UN Women

The gender-related killing of women and girls is the most brutal and extreme manifestation of such violence. The findings of this report show that in 2021, around 45,000 women and girls worldwide were killed by intimate partners or other family members. This means that more than five women or girls are killed every hour by someone in their own family. While these numbers are alarmingly high, the true scale of femicide may be much higher.

UNODC and UN Women have been spearheading efforts to improve data collection through the Statistical framework for measuring the gender-related killing of women and girls also referred to as "femicide/feminicide"), which is aligned with the International Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes (ICCS) and was endorsed by the UN Statistical Commission in March 2022. The framework also aims to expand the knowledge base beyond gender-related killings in the family, as quality, comparable data about femicides perpetrated in the public sphere remains extremely limited.

By ensuring that every victim is counted we can ensure that perpetrators are held to account and justice Is served. By improving our understanding of all types of gender-related killings of women and girls we can strengthen prevention and improve responses. With this in mind, we are proud that this first joint UNODC-UN Women research brief features expanded policy recommendations to support comprehensive and multisectoral approaches to prevent and address gender-related killings and other forms of gender-based violence against women and girls.