Home, the most dangerous place for women: UNODC study

New York [USA], Nov 26 (ANI): In a shocking revelation it has come to light that around 137 women around the world were killed daily in 2017 by their own family members with whom they shared an intimate relationship.
A study of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) highlighted, "A total of 87,000 women were intentionally killed in 2017. More than half of them (58 per cent)  -  50,000  -  were killed by intimate partners or family members. More than a third (30,000) of the women intentionally killed in 2017 were killed by their current or former intimate partner - someone they would normally expect to trust."
According to the study, home turned out to be the most dangerous place for women revealing that the trend is in the increase. "Based on revised data, the estimated number of women killed by intimate partners or family members in 2012 was 48,000 (47 per cent of all female homicide victims). The annual number of female deaths worldwide resulting from intimate partner/family-related homicide therefore seems be on the increase."
Breaking down the statistics on an hourly basis, the study flagged that the numbers come down to about six women being killed every hour by people they know.
The study, released on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25, scrutinised available homicide data to analyse murder of women and girls on grounds of gender, with a specific focus on intimate partner and family-related homicide, and how this relates to the status and roles of women in society and the domestic sphere.
"While the vast majority of homicide victims are men, women continue to pay the highest price as a result of gender inequality, discrimination and negative stereotypes. They are also the most likely to be killed by intimate partners and family," said UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov.
"Targeted criminal justice responses are needed to prevent and end gender-related killings. UNODC is releasing this research for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women 2018 to increase understanding and inform action," he added.
The rate of female victims of homicide by intimate partners or family members found the global rate was around 1.3 victims per 100,000 female population.
The study said that Africa and America are the regions where women face most risk of being killed by intimate partners or family members. "In Africa, the rate was around 3.1 victims per 100,000 female population, while the rate in the Americas was 1.6 victims, in Oceania 1.3 and in Asia 0.9. The lowest rate was found in Europe, with 0.7 victims per 100,000 female population." the study pointed out.
"Africa was also the region with the highest rate of females killed purely by intimate partners in 2017 (1.7 per 100,000 female population). The Americas had the second-highest rate (1.2), Oceania the third (0.9), Europe the fourth (0.6) and Asia the fifth-highest rate (0.5 per 100,000 female population)," the study indicated.
The study highlighted that more than two-thirds of all women (69 per cent) killed in Africa in 2017 were killed by intimate partners or family members, while more than a third (38 per cent) of women were killed by intimate partners or family members in Europe. Oceania accounts for the largest share of all the regions in terms of women killed exclusively by intimate partners, at 42 per cent, while Europe accounts for the lowest, at 29 per cent.
"Only one out of every five homicides at global level is perpetrated by an intimate partner or family member, yet women and girls make up the vast majority of those deaths. Victim/perpetrator disaggregations reveal a large disparity in the shares attributable to male and female victims of homicides committed by intimate partners or family members: 36 per cent male versus 64 per cent female victims," it added.
The study further revealed the global rate of female total homicide at 2.3 per 100,000 female population in 2017 and the global female intimate partner/family-related homicide rate was 1.3, while the female intimate partner homicide rate was estimated at 0.8 per 100,000 female population.
"The disparity between the shares of male and female victims of homicide perpetrated exclusively by an intimate partner is substantially larger than of victims of homicide perpetrated by intimate partners or family members: roughly 82 per cent female victims versus 18 per cent male victims," the study said.
The study highlighted the need for effective crime prevention and criminal justice responses to violence against women that promote victim safety and empowerment while ensuring offender accountability.
"Countries have taken action to address violence against women and gender-related killings in different ways, by adopting legal changes, early interventions and multi-agency efforts, as well as creating special units and implementing training in the criminal justice system. Countries in Latin America have adopted legislation that criminalizes femicide as a specific offence in their penal codes. Yet there are no signs of a decrease in the number of gender-related killings of women and girls," the study by UNODC highlighted.
It recommended greater coordination between the police and the justice system as well as health and social services and emphasised the importance of involving men in the solution, including through early education. (ANI)