Approximately 85,000 women and girls were intentionally killed in 2023, with over 60%—more than 51,000—tragically losing their lives at the hands of intimate partners or family members, according to a new report by UN Women and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. This equates to one woman or girl being killed every 10 minutes.

Released on Monday, 25 November, the report coincides with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and sheds light on the alarming scale of femicide across the globe. Africa was identified as the region with the highest rates of intimate partner and family-related killings.

The report’s release also marks the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism campaign, which aims to mobilize global leaders to combat systemic violence against women and girls.

Key findings from the report include:

• Africa recorded the highest rates of femicides by intimate partners and family members, followed by the Americas and Oceania.
• In regions such as Europe and the Americas, intimate partners were the main perpetrators, whereas in other areas, family members were the primary offenders.

UN Women Executive Director, Sima Bahous, emphasized that femicide and violence against women are preventable. She called for stronger legislation, better data collection, greater government accountability, a zero-tolerance culture, and increased funding for women’s rights organizations.

Bahous said, “Violence against women and girls is not inevitable—it is preventable. As we approach the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 2025, it is time for world leaders to unite, act with urgency, and recommit to ending this crisis once and for all.”