Highlighted in 2023, domestic violence became an alarming issue. According to a report compiled by UN Women and the U.N. Office of Drugs and Crime, an average of 140 women and girls were killed daily, with an intimate partner or family member being the killer. That gruesome statistic underlines how this is a continuing global challenge since violence in homes takes lives disproportionately.
Global Impact of Domestic Homicides
That comes to about 51,100 women and girls who became victims of domestic killings in 2023 – up from estimates of 48,800 from the year before. This is not because violence itself is rising, but because more data is being collected.
Yet, the figures remain staggeringly high. The report, launched on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, noted that no region is spared from this scourge, and the home is a particularly dangerous place for women and girls. The problem of gender-based violence is universal, but there are differences between regions.
Africa recorded the highest number of domestic killings, estimated to reach 21,700 victims in 2023. It also shows the highest rate when considering population size: 2.9 victims per 100,000. This was followed by the Americas and Oceania, respectively, at rates of 1.6 and 1.5 per 100,000. Asia and Europe follow with far fewer incidents at rates of 0.8 and 0.6 per 100,000, respectively.
Interestingly, it was noted that most perpetrators in Europe and the Americas were intimate partners, an ironic contrast from male homicide which largely occurs outside the confines of the home.
Preventable Tragedies and Call for Action
Lethal violence within families bears down with the most crushing force on women, who comprised nearly 60 percent of all victims of intimate partner or family member homicides in 2023. Even though men are 80 percent of total homicide victims globally, their deaths are less likely to take place in the private sphere.
The agencies underline that many of these killings could be prevented in the first place, with many of them resulting from repeated gender-based violence. While countries have taken positive steps to address the problem, the prevalence of the crimes indicates an urgent need for the development and adoption of more effective strategies to intervene.
The report acts as a grim reminder of the unfinished work that lies ahead to ensure safety and equity for women and girls worldwide. Societies can only hope for curbing this trend through prevention and intervention and saving lives within what should be the safest of spaces known as ‘home’.
