A devastating new report from the United Nations has laid bare a global epidemic of gender-based violence, revealing that a woman or girl is killed by an intimate partner or family member almost every ten minutes.
The Shocking Scale of Femicide
The report, published jointly by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and UN Women on November 24, 2025, to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, shows no progress in reducing these killings. In 2024, an appalling 83,000 women and girls were intentionally killed worldwide.
Of this staggering total, a deeply concerning 60% – representing 50,000 lives – were murdered by their intimate partners or family members. This equates to an average of 137 such deaths every single day, highlighting a relentless and ongoing crisis.
A Global Problem with a Stark Gender Divide
The data presents a grim picture of the specific dangers women and girls face within their own homes. In stark contrast, only 11% of all male homicides are committed by intimate partners or family members, underscoring the gendered nature of this violence.
Sarah Hendriks, Director of UN Women's Policy Division, emphasised that these femicides are not isolated incidents. "Femicides don't happen in isolation," she stated. "They often sit on a continuum of violence that can start with controlling behaviour, threats, and harassment – including online."
Call for Action and Early Intervention
The UN is urging for systemic change to prevent these tragedies. The report stresses that digital violence frequently escalates into physical harm. "It can escalate offline and, in the worst cases, contribute to lethal harm, including femicide," Hendriks added.
John Brandolino, acting Executive Director of UNODC, provided a chilling summary: "The home remains a dangerous and sometimes lethal place for too many women and girls around the world." The 2025 femicide brief serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for better prevention strategies and criminal justice responses that address the root causes of this extreme violence.
Geographically, the highest rate of femicide by an intimate partner or family member was found in Africa, at 3 per 100,000 women and girls. This was followed by the Americas (1.5), Oceania (1.4), Asia (0.7), and Europe (0.5).
To combat a lack of comprehensive data, UN Women and UNODC are working with countries to implement a 2022 statistical framework. This initiative aims to improve the identification and recording of gender-related killings, which is crucial for developing effective responses and securing justice for the victims.
