The global femicide crisis has been declared to have reached 'pandemic proportions,' reflecting a grave, systemic failure in ensuring the safety and rights of women and transgender women worldwide.
The primary perpetrators are identified as current or former intimate partners, which points to a deeply rooted societal issue. A lack of thorough investigations often results in the escape of accountability by the culprits, further exacerbating the crisis. A report from 2022 by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and UN Women revealed a horrifying statistic: more than five women or girls are killed every hour by someone close to them, summing up to about 45,000 such killings annually. However, the actual figures are suspected to be much higher due to underreporting. The UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions, Morris Tidball-Binz, urged nations to intensify efforts in investigating and prosecuting femicides while providing substantial support and reparations to the victims and their families. The crisis underscores a global cultural and legal challenge, where prevailing local beliefs, customs, or religions are sometimes wrongfully used to justify or overlook femicides. The enormity and pervasiveness of the issue demand urgent and coordinated international action to protect women's rights and lives.
The global femicide crisis is not only a glaring indicator of gender inequality and a culture of violence against women but also poses a significant challenge to global peace and security. The crisis is indicative of deep-se…
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