Gender-related killings of women and girls: Improving data to improve responses to femicide/feminicide

Violence against women and girls is the most pervasive human rights violation rooted in gender inequality and discrimination, unequal power relations, and harmful social norms. The gender-related killing of women and girls is the most brutal and extreme manifestation of such violence.

With the aim of galvanizing global action against this all-too-pervasive crime, UNODC and UN Women have joined forces to produce this research paper on the global estimates of gender-related killings of women and girls in the private sphere in 2021.

The available evidence shows that there has been too little progress in preventing gender-related killings of women and girls. Concerted, urgent action is needed, to improve the knowledge base and strengthen responses to gender-related killings and other forms of gender-based violence against women and girls.

By ensuring that every victim is counted, we can ensure that perpetrators are held to account and justice is served. By improving understanding of all types of gender-related killings of women and girls, we can strengthen prevention and improve responses.

This paper features policy recommendations to support comprehensive and multisectoral approaches to prevent and address gender-related killings and other forms of gender-based violence against women and girls.

Gender-related killings and other forms of violence against women and girls are not inevitable. They can and must be prevented, through early intervention and multi-stakeholder and multisectoral partnerships—including the partnerships that helped to produce this research paper, which we hope will support more determined action against this crime.