Homes have become the deadliest place for women. Two UN agencies said on Monday that an average of 140 women and girls were killed in their homes every day last year by an intimate partner or family member. UN Women and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime said that globally, an intimate partner or family member was responsible for the death of about 51,100 women and girls during 2023.

Why are the figures increasing?

In 2022, the figure was estimated at 48,800. Released on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the report said the increase was not due to a rise in murders but mainly due to more data being available from different countries. Both agencies stressed that women and girls everywhere are being affected by this extreme form of gender-based violence and no region is untouched by it.

Most murders in Africa

Homes are the most dangerous place for women and girls. According to the report, Africa had the highest number of murders by intimate partners and family members, where about 21,700 women were victims in 2023. Africa also had the highest number of victims relative to its population, with 2.9 victims per 100,000 people.

Figures are much lower in Asia region

The report said that last year the rate was quite high in the US as well, where 1.6 women per 100,000 were victims, while in Oceania (island countries in the Pacific Ocean) the rate was 1.5 per 100,000. The rate was quite low in Asia, where there were 0.8 victims per 100,000, while in Europe the rate was 0.6 per 100,000.

Men are murdered outside their homes and families

According to the report, in Europe and America, intentional murders of women are mostly committed by their intimate partners. In contrast, most cases of murders of men occur outside the home. The report says, 'Although most of the victims of murder are men and boys, women and girls are still affected by lethal violence in private places.'