TODAY’S VIEWPOINT IS ON BREAKING THE SILENCE ON THE RISING TIDES OF FEMICIDE. IT IS WRITTEN BY ESTHER OMOLADE, A STUDENT OF MASS COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT OF AJAYI CROWTHER UNIVERSITY, OYO TOWN, OYO STATE.
Over the years, the world has been experiencing the alarming rate of femicide.
According to United Nations, UN, femicide is an intentional killing with a gender-related motivation, driven by stereotyped gender roles, discrimination towards women and girls, unequal power relations between women and men, or harmful social norms.
Like all forms of gender-based violence against women and girls, femicide is a problem that affects every country and territory across the globe.
In 2022, Africa recorded the largest number of female intimate partner and family related killings with an estimated 20,000 victims, followed by Asia, the Americas, Europe and Oceania.
Also, according to researches, women and girls are most likely to be killed by those closest to them.
In 2022, around 48,800 women and girls worldwide were killed by their intimate partners or other family members (including fathers, mothers, uncles and brothers).
This means that, on average, more than 133 women or girls are killed every day by someone in their own family.
2023 recorded the highest number of total intentional female homicides, which shows that the world is failing to stop deaths that could be prevented through early intervention, gender-responsive policing and justice, and access to survivor-centred support and protection.
Sadly, loss, traumatic grief, poor health, compromised functioning at school or work, and job losses are some of the impacts caused by femicide.
In addition, femicide has an impact on all women and girls, not just those personally impacted by a death.
However, there are some steps to be taken to end femicide they include,
Firstly, stakeholders should advocate human rights for all women and girls.
Also, engagement of communities and societies to create zero tolerance for violence against women should be encouraged.
Women and girls need to have access to survivor-centered support and protection as well as gender-responsive policing.
Lastly, justice services must be fully enforced to end gender-related killings of women and girls.
