In April, women continued to be victims of femicide all around the world. This was a gripping reality in Australia where five women were reported dead in a deadly attack carried out by a 40-year-old man named Joel Cauchi in a mall. Eleven people in total were injured during this terror attack including the nine-month-old daughter of one of the victims.
Femicide cases are grossly undocumented and our monthly report serves as a vital data repository, shedding light on the extent of this societal issue. It underscores the urgency for comprehensive measures to combat this pervasive problem, pushing for increased awareness, intervention, and support for victims.
Our figures are obtained from meticulous Google searches with targeted keywords to gather verified information from news outlets, human rights groups, and trusted media. The numbers in no way represent the total reported cases of femicides or cases of femicide worldwide but serve as a representation of the grim realities women face and also constantly create awareness on the issues of femicide. So, therefore, the numbers within our report serve as stark statistics and a call to action for a world that must unite to protect its most vulnerable members.
Based on our findings this month, we uncovered a staggering total of 132 cases of femicide in 18 countries. The United States took the lead with 70 cases followed by India with 25. Intimate partner violence was the dominant form of gender-based violence with a percentage of 63.6 per cent of affected women aged 17 to 79. Domestic violence and non-intimate partner violence affected women/girls as young as 7 months old to as old as 79 years old.
The question remains: When do women cease being victims of gender-based violence, regardless of age? Can they find justice even in the grave? Why do their perpetrators roam freely, unaccountable for their heinous actions even when evidence has been presented?
Ingrained patriarchal norms and inequality contribute to the increasing rates of femicide worldwide. The United Nations grimly acknowledges that we are far from achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 5) (on female equality and empowerment) as we approach the halfway mark in the race to meet the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In 2018, one in every seven women (13 per cent of women aged 15 to 49) reported experiencing physical and sexual violence from an intimate partner or husband in the preceding 12 months.
This troubling pattern continues across the globe from Nigeria to South Africa to Australia, to Canada to Pakistan where pregnant women are killed by their partners, daughters are killed by their fathers, sisters are killed by their brothers, mothers are killed by their sons, and children and family members are casualties of femicide with a total of 14 children and 2 family members died alongside these women. A tragic case happened in the United Kingdom where a woman was beaten to death while the police were outside the house waiting for a warrant before going in.
We must continue to speak up against femicide and ensure that our outrage translates to actions and implementation of policies that promote the safety of women all over the world.
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