New UN Femicide Report Shows Which Places Are The Most Dangerous For Women

A chilling new report from the United Nations presents harsh numbers on femicide worldwide. In 2024, nearly 50,000 women and girls were killed by intimate partners or family members. This figure represents 60 per cent of the 83,000 women and girls intentionally killed that year. On average, 137 women and girls lost their lives every single day at the hands of someone within their own household.

The Most Dangerous Places For Women

The home remains the most dangerous place for women. While men make up 80 per cent of global homicide victims, 60 per cent of female victims are killed by intimate partners or family members.

Africa sees the highest proportion, with 74 per cent of female homicides occurring at home. Oceania follows with 67 per cent, Asia with 55 per cent, Europe with 52 per cent, and the Americas with 45 per cent.

In total numbers, Africa recorded the highest number of victims, with 22,600 deaths. Asia follows with 17,400, the Americas with 7,700, Europe with 2,100, and Oceania with 300.

Adjusting for population, Africa also has the highest femicide rate at three victims per 100,000 women. The Americas and Oceania have rates of 1.5 and 1.4, respectively, while Asia and Europe are lower at 0.7 and 0.5 per 100,000 women.

Who Commits These Crimes?

Intimate partners are the primary suspects in regions with reliable data. In the Americas, 69 per cent of femicides were committed by partners.

In Europe, the figure is 64 per cent. Data for Africa, Asia, and Oceania is less complete, but trends suggest the domestic sphere remains the epicentre of gender-based lethal violence globally.

Several factors can turn domestic violence into femicide. Previous abuse, threats, coercive control, stalking, relationship separation, and substance use also add to the risk factors, while access to firearms dramatically increases the risk of femicide.

Digital platforms can amplify risks. Cyberstalking, non-consensual image sharing, and online threats can serve as precursors to physical attacks. Women in public roles, such as journalists or politicians, face heightened risks. In some cases, online coercion and surveillance escalate to lethal outcomes.

Prevention Strategies

Countries are adopting a range of strategies to prevent femicide. Legal reforms, such as criminalising femicide, are implemented in several regions. Multi-agency coordination improves the response to domestic violence.

Public campaigns raise awareness, while risk assessment systems and personalised security plans enhance victim protection. Combining protection orders with firearm restrictions has been shown to reduce homicides.

Reliable data remains a challenge, especially in Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Only Europe and the Americas consistently provide detailed statistics. Countries like Albania and Lesotho have piloted frameworks to improve data collection, offering models for other regions. Comprehensive data is essential for crafting effective policies and prevention strategies.

The study also suggests protection orders and social support for victims are more effective when combined with firearm restrictions.

Femicide remains a global crisis. Despite legal reforms, advocacy, and awareness campaigns, women continue to face the greatest threat at home.

Tackling this issue requires not only strong legal and policing measures but also societal change, support for victims, and better data collection. Without targeted interventions, the daily toll of women and girls killed in domestic settings may continue unabated.