UN Research: About 137 Women Killed Every Day

New research from the United Nations reads that around 137 women around the world are killed by a partner or family member every day.

The report released by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) found that 87,000 women were killed in 2017. Of these, approximately 30,000 women were killed by an intimate partner and another 20,000 by a relative.

This amounts to six women being killed every hour by people they know, the report said. It was released Sunday to coincide with the UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

Dowry and so called honor killings were among the reasons cited.

"While the vast majority of homicide victims are men, women continue to pay the highest price as a result of gender inequality, discrimination and negative stereotypes…They are also the most likely to be killed by intimate partners and family,” UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov said in a statement that accompanied the report.

Neha Sharad Chaudry was 18-years-old when she was killed in a suspected “honor” killing, according to the BBC.

She was killed on her 18th birthday after going out to celebrate with her boyfriend. Her family did not approve of the relationship.

Africa and the Americas were the regions where women are most at risk of being killed by intimate partners or family members, the study found. 

In Africa, the rate was about 3.1 victims per 100,000 women. In the Americas, it was 1.6 victims. The lowest rate was found in Europe, which had 0.7 victims per 100,000 females.

In 2017, roughly 82% of victims of homicide perpetrated by intimate partners or family members were female. The corresponding figure for men: 18%.

The majority of male victims are killed by strangers.

By Thea Morrison

Photo source: City Press