A recent United Nations report has revealed that an average of 140 women and girls were killed daily in 2023 by intimate partners or close relatives, highlighting the ongoing global crisis of gender-based violence

The report, published by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

And found that 60 percent of the 85,000 women and girls killed worldwide last year died at the hands of family members

“Around the world, women and girls continue to face this extreme form of gender-based violence” the report states, underscoring that the home remains the most dangerous place for them

Africa had the highest number of female victims, with an estimated 21,700 women and girls killed by intimate partners or family members in 2023, equating to 2.9 victims per 100,000 population 

Other regions also reported concerning rates, with the Americas at 1.6 per 100,000 and Oceania at 1.5 per 100,000. Asia and Europe had comparatively lower rates, at 0.8 and 0.6 per 100,000, respectively

The report noted that intimate partner violence was the leading cause of female homicides in Europe and the Americas, whereas the majority of male homicide victims were killed outside the family sphere

While men accounted for 80 percent of all homicide victims in 2023, women were disproportionately affected by violence within their homes

Nearly 60 percent of women intentionally killed last year were victims of intimate partner or family-related violence, compared to significantly lower rates for me

“These killings are often the tragic culmination of repeated episodes of gender-based violence and are preventable through timely and effective interventions,” the report emphasized