In March 2024, How Many Women Were Abused?
Despite how little the reports of femicide make their way to the internet, the chilling horrors that women face are still being spoken of and reported by women all over the world.
This was seen in March as women continue to become victims of femicide, especially from their intimate partners. This month shed light on how the children of these women can become casualties as this was the case seen in the United States were 11 year old Jayden Perkins was stabbed to death while protecting his mother from her violent ex and South Africa where a two-month-old boy was killed by the father because he wanted to get back at his girlfriend.
Femicide cases are grossly undocumented and our monthly report serves as a vital data repository, shedding light on the extent of this societal issue. It underscores the urgency for comprehensive measures to combat this pervasive problem, pushing for increased awareness, intervention, and support for victims.
Our figures are obtained from meticulous Google searches with targeted keywords to gather verified information from news outlets, human rights groups, and trusted media. The numbers in no way represent the total reported cases of femicides or cases of femicide worldwide but serve as a representation of the grim realities women face and also constantly create awareness on the issues of femicide. So, therefore, the numbers within our report serve as stark statistics and a call to action for a world that must unite to protect its most vulnerable members.
Based on our findings this month, we uncovered a staggering total of 175 cases of femicide in 22 countries. The United States took the lead with 86 cases followed by India with 34. Intimate partner violence was the dominant form of gender-based violence with a percentage of 53.1 per cent of affected women aged 17 to 82. Domestic violence and non-intimate partner violence affected women/girls as young as 2 months old to as old as 82 years old.
The question remains: When do women cease being victims of gender-based violence, regardless of age? Can they find justice even in the grave? Why do their perpetrators roam freely, unaccountable for their heinous actions even when evidence has been presented?
Ingrained patriarchal norms and inequality contribute to the increasing rates of femicide worldwide. The United Nations grimly acknowledges that we are far from achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 5) (on female equality and empowerment) as we approach the halfway mark in the race to meet the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
In 2018, one in every seven women (13 per cent of women aged 15 to 49) reported experiencing physical and sexual violence from an intimate partner or husband in the preceding 12 months.
This troubling pattern continues across the globe from Nigeria to Kenya to South Africa to the United Kingdom, to Australia, to Canada to Pakistan where pregnant women are killed by their partners, daughters are killed by their fathers, mothers are killed by their sons, and children and family members are casualties of femicide with a total of 24 children and 3 family members died alongside these women.
We must continue to speak up against femicide and ensure that our outrage translates to actions and implementation of policies that promote the safety of women all over the world.