Women are most unsafe at home

The increasing violence against women and girls around the world is no longer just a statistic, it has become a fear. The fear is also deep because the house which is considered safe is becoming the most unsafe place today. According to the latest report of the United Nations, last year every 10 minutes a woman was killed at the hands of her close friend, husband, partner or relative.

This means that those people whom women trust are becoming the ones who take their lives. This report by UNODC and UN Women on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women clearly states that the threat of femicide is not only increasing but is also becoming more complex. This figure is definitely a little less than 2023, but not because the world has become safe, but because many countries have not provided complete data. This means that the reality may be even more frightening than this.

Women are most unsafe at home

The report said that in 2024, about 50,000 women and girls around the world were killed by their intimate partner or family member. This equates to an average of 137 women per day or one murder every 10 minutes. Of the total murder cases of women, 60% were committed by people whom they trusted. Be it husband, boyfriend, father, brother or other family members. In contrast, in the case of men, only 11% of murders are committed by someone close to them.

Africa most affected

Even though no continent is free from femicide, Africa is expected to record around 22,000 cases in 2024, the highest in the world. The report says that home is still proving to be the most dangerous place of murder for women and girls. The report states that the digital world has made women’s safety more complex. With the increasing use of technology, new crimes have also emerged, such as non-consensual image sharing, doxxing and deepfake videos.

Need for strict laws and timely action

The report emphasizes the need to implement laws that recognize the changing forms of violence against women, both online and offline. If such a law is needed then criminals should be held accountable even before they reach the point of murder. This report once again shows that femicide has become a global epidemic, and unless society, law and digital platforms take action together, the threat to women will not reduce.