Every 10 minutes, a woman or girl is being killed: UN report reveals shocking facts

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): A new United Nations report has raised serious concerns about the rising violence against women and girls across the world. According to fresh data released by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and UN Women, nearly every 10 minutes, a woman or girl is killed by her partner or a family member.

The report states that last year, around 83,000 women and girls were intentionally killed worldwide. Out of these, 60% (50,000 deaths) were caused by intimate partners or family members. On average, this amounts to 137 such killings every day. In comparison, only 11% of men’s homicides were committed by someone from their household.

Africa records the highest rate of female killings

The study shows that the rate of femicide, the killing of women by partners or relatives is highest in Africa, with 3 killings per 100,000 women. It is followed by:

Americas: 1.5

Oceania: 1.4

Asia: 0.7

Europe: 0.5

Homes turning into dangerous spaces

UNODC Executive Director Jean Brandolino said that for many women and girls, homes are no longer safe and often become deadly environments. He stressed the need for stronger criminal justice action and more effective strategies to prevent femicide.

Violence rising from online to offline

Sarah Hendricks, Policy Director at UN Women, expressed concern over the increasing threat of digital violence. She said that online harassment frequently escalates into real-world violence, and in severe cases, even leads to the murder of women.

The report concludes that women and girls across every region of the world continue to face extreme forms of violence, and so far, no meaningful improvement has been observed in the situation.