Global Femicide Crisis: A Woman Is Killed Every 10 Minutes

Every ten minutes, somewhere in the world, a woman or girl is killed by an intimate partner or family member.¹ This grim reality, revealed in the UN’s Femicides in 2023 report, exposes the harrowing scale of the global femicide crisis. Categorized as the most extreme form of misogyny, femicide is the fatal culmination of a broader epidemic of violence against women and girls (VAWG).²

The statistics are devastating, but they are only part of the story. Gender-based violence is deeply rooted in discrimination and inequality that transcends borders and cultures. From wage disparities and inadequate legal protections to coercive control and domestic violence, these manifestations of inequality create environments where gender-based violence thrives.

Despite some progress through awareness campaigns and legislative reform, the global response to femicide remains woefully inadequate. Millions of women and girls continue to live at risk, with the issue often met by denial, blame-shifting, and apathy.

The Epidemic of Violence Against Women and Girls

Violence against women and girls frequently goes unreported, cloaked in silence, stigma, and shame. It takes many forms—physical, sexual, and psychological—and undermines women’s rights to safety, education, and economic participation.

The 1993 UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women defines such violence as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion, or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life.” ³

This violence includes:

• Intimate Partner Violence (IPV): Battering, marital rape, psychological abuse (also known as coercive control), and femicide.
• Sexual Violence and Harassment: Rape, child sexual abuse, forced marriage, stalking, street harassment, and cyber-harassment.
• Human Trafficking: Slavery and sexual exploitation.
• Harmful Practices: Female genital mutilation and child marriage.

Some women face heightened risks due to systemic inequities. Migrants, indigenous women, Black women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and women with disabilities often experience disproportionate violence. In humanitarian crises, the dangers multiply.⁴

The Impact of Gender-Based Violence On Women’s Health

The health consequences of gender-based violence are profound, affecting nearly every aspect of survivors’ lives. According to recent data, 736 million women—almost one-third of the global female population—have endured physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner. ⁵ The resulting trauma can lead to depression, anxiety, unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and HIV.^{6 7}

These effects are not short-term. For many survivors, the repercussions are lifelong, manifesting as chronic conditions such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and substance use disorders. The scars—both physical and psychological—highlight the need for a systemic approach to break this cycle of harm.⁸

The Social Burden of Gender-Based Violence

The global femicide crisis is not only a moral atrocity but a burden that ripples across societies, affecting everyone. Its costs—economic, social, and emotional—are borne collectively.

Taxpayers Shoulder the Financial Toll

Gender-based violence strains public resources, from overburdened healthcare systems to law enforcement and social services. Taxpayers foot the bill for medical treatment, legal aid, and emergency housing. These diverted funds weaken other critical public programs.

Survivors Pay With Their Lives and Livelihoods

Survivors often face a lifetime of recovery. Physical injuries, psychological trauma, and diminished opportunities for education or employment trap many in cycles of poverty and marginalization. Their diminished productivity and lost wages create economic ripple effects that extend far beyond individual households.

Communities Bear the Social Cost

At the community level, gender-based violence undermines social cohesion, fosters fear, and increases crime. Neighborhoods fractured by violence see higher rates of substance abuse, homelessness, and other social challenges, creating environments of instability that harm everyone.

The Urgent Need for Action and Accountability

The global femicide crisis is not inevitable; it is the result of systemic failures—weak legal enforcement, entrenched norms, and insufficient investment in prevention. Addressing it demands bold and coordinated action. Governments must fund prevention programs, hold perpetrators accountable, and provide comprehensive support for survivors.

As the world nears the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, there is an opportunity to reignite the fight for gender equality. Narcissistic Abuse Rehab stands in solidarity with UN Women’s 16 Days of Activism campaign, calling on leaders and citizens alike to confront the domestic violence epidemic with urgency and accountability.

The question is no longer whether we can afford to address the global femicide crisis. It is whether we can afford not to.

Bibliography

1. UNODC and UN Women. (2024, November 25). 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. UN Women. ↩︎
2. UNODC and UN Women, Femicides in 2023: Global Estimates of Intimate Partner/Family Member Femicides. (United Nations publication, 2024). ↩︎
3. UN General Assembly (48th Session: 1993-1994). Declaration of the Elimination of Violence Against Women. United Nations. ↩︎
4. Wakefield, M. (2024, May 4). The Alarming rate of Black Femicide in the U.S. Narcissistic Abuse Rehab. ↩︎
5. UNODC and UN Women. (2024, November 25). Facts and figures: Ending violence against women. UN Women. ↩︎
6. Ibid. ↩︎
7. Wakefield, M. (2023, July 14). How Narcissistic Abuse Can Lead To Depression. Narcissistic Abuse Rehab. ↩︎
8. Wakefield, M. (2018, February 18). PTSD And Depression Comorbidity Increase Risk Of Mortality In Women.
   Narcissistic Abuse Rehab. ↩︎