Women murdered globally in 2017 killed by partners or relatives - UN

More than half of the women murdered globally in 2017 were killed by their partners or family members, making the home “the most dangerous place for a woman”.

This was contained in a report published on Sunday by the United Nations on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

Of a total of 87,000 homicides, about 50,000 or 58% were committed by the partner or family members.

Africa and the Americas are the regions of the world where women are most at risk of being killed.

In Africa, the rate is 3.2 victims per 100,000 women.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, based in Vienna, this represents about six women killed every hour by someone they know.

The UN body regrets that “no tangible progress” to combat this scourge has been made in recent years “despite legislation and programmes developed to eradicate violence against women”.

It advocates better coordination between the police and the judiciary to ensure that perpetrators of violence are held accountable for their actions.

The report also advocates the importance of involving men in the solutions, especially through education from an early age.

AFP