Femicide: Why Being a Woman Puts You in Danger – National Organization for Women

 

Report on Femicide: A Critical Barrier to Achieving Sustainable Development Goals

The intentional killing of women and girls, or femicide, represents a profound global crisis and a significant impediment to the realization of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This report analyzes the scope, causes, and consequences of femicide, highlighting its direct contradiction to SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). The persistence of femicide indicates a global failure to protect the fundamental right to life and security for women, undermining progress across the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Scope of the Crisis: A Global Failure to Uphold SDG 5

Femicide is the most extreme manifestation of gender-based violence, a direct violation of SDG Target 5.2, which calls for the elimination of all forms of violence against all women and girls. Despite advancements in other sectors, the rate of femicide remains alarmingly high, indicating a stagnation in social progress concerning gender equality.

Global Femicide Statistics and SDG 5.2

The global statistics underscore the severity of the crisis and the distance remaining to achieve SDG 5.

• According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), a woman or girl is killed by an intimate partner or family member approximately every 10 minutes.
• In 2023, an estimated 85,000 women and girls were intentionally killed worldwide, with a majority of these killings perpetrated by individuals known to the victims.

Femicide in the United States: A Contradiction to National Progress

Within the United States, the data reveals a persistent epidemic of violence that challenges the nation’s commitment to justice and equality, core tenets of the SDGs.

• Nearly three women are killed daily by an intimate partner.
• Over 55% of all female homicide victims are killed by current or former intimate partners.
• Since 1996, men have murdered over 45,000 women in single victim/single offender incidents.
• Analysis of the past 25 years shows that 92% of female homicide victims knew their killers.

These figures demonstrate a critical failure to protect women, directly impeding progress toward SDG 5.

Systemic Failures in Data and Justice: Undermining SDG 16

The lack of official recognition and inadequate data collection on femicide are significant institutional failures that contravene the principles of SDG 16, which advocates for effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.

The Invisibility of Femicide in Official Data

In the United States, there is no official crime classification for femicide. Homicides are not systematically disaggregated to identify gender-based motives. This data gap makes it impossible to accurately track the problem, develop targeted policies, or measure progress toward SDG Target 16.1 (Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere). Without recognition, femicide is effectively erased from policy discourse and public awareness.

Disproportionate Impacts and SDG 10: The Intersection of Inequalities

Femicide does not affect all women equally, exposing deep-seated inequalities that SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) aims to eliminate. Marginalized communities face a heightened risk, compounded by systemic neglect.

• Racial Disparities: According to the Violence Policy Center, Black women in the U.S. are murdered at nearly three times the rate of white women. This disparity is exacerbated by what is termed “Missing White Woman Syndrome,” where cases involving women of color receive significantly less media and law enforcement attention.
• Indigenous Women: Over 80% of Indigenous women experience violence, with murder rates in some areas up to ten times the national average. A 2016 report noted a severe discrepancy between the 5,712 cases of missing Indigenous women logged by the National Crime Information Center and the 116 cases logged in the Department of Justice’s database, highlighting a failure in institutional accountability (SDG 16).
• Immigrant Women: Vulnerabilities such as fear of deportation, language barriers, and lack of legal support often prevent immigrant women from reporting abuse, leaving them susceptible to extreme violence.

International Dimensions: A Global Call for Stronger Institutions

Femicide is a global phenomenon, with varying manifestations that all point to a universal need for stronger legal frameworks and institutional responses as called for in SDG 16.

Case Studies in Femicide and Institutional Response

1. Kenya: The 2021 murder of world-record-holding runner Agnes Tirop by her husband highlighted that professional success offers no protection from gender-based violence, sparking calls for national reform.
2. Bangladesh: In 2023, at least 235 women were reportedly killed by husbands or in-laws. Systemic issues like social stigma and economic dependency prevent accountability. Recent court directives to discourage prenatal sex disclosure aim to combat gender-biased sex selection, a practice that threatens females even before birth and is a violation of SDG 5.
3. Mexico: The femicide crisis has been declared a national emergency, with over 1,000 officially recorded cases in 2022. Public protests under the banner “Ni una menos” (Not one less) signal widespread demand for government action and institutional accountability.

Policy Deficiencies and Recommendations for SDG Alignment

Systemic policy failures enable perpetrators and fail victims, demonstrating a clear need to strengthen institutions to uphold commitments to SDG 5 and SDG 16.

Legislative Gaps and Institutional Inaction

A significant number of femicide victims had previously sought help from authorities, indicating a systemic failure to respond to clear warning signs. Key policy failures include:

• Firearm Access: The presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of homicide by 500%. The “boyfriend loophole,” which for years allowed non-married abusive partners to retain firearms, is a critical legislative gap that has directly contributed to femicide.
• Justice System Failures: Restraining orders are often unenforced, threats are minimized by law enforcement, and courts have been known to restore gun rights to individuals with a history of domestic violence. These actions undermine the protective capacity of the state.

Recommendations for Achieving SDG Targets 5 and 16

To address the femicide crisis and align with the Sustainable Development Goals, the following actions are necessary:

1. Official Recognition and Data Collection: Legally define and classify femicide as a distinct crime to ensure accurate data collection, inform policy, and track progress toward SDG 16.1.
2. Strengthen Legal Protections: Close all legal loopholes that allow perpetrators of domestic violence to access firearms and ensure strict enforcement of protective orders.
3. Invest in Support Systems: Increase funding for domestic violence shelters, legal aid, and support services for survivors, particularly for marginalized communities, in line with SDG 5.2 and SDG 10.
4. Promote Public Awareness and Accountability: Launch public campaigns to challenge the social norms that perpetuate gender-based violence and hold institutions accountable for their response to protect women and girls.

Resources and References

Support Services

• National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800.799.SAFE (7233) | https://www.thehotline.org/
• UN Women: https://www.unwomen.org/en

Bibliography

• Anderson, K. (2025, April 17). Milwaukee man gets 45 years in Emily Rogers’ 2022 slaying. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Chappell, B. (2017, July 21). CDC: Half of all female murder victims are killed by intimate partners. NPR.
• Davies, M. L., & Donnelly, L. (2024). Intimate partner femicide: A public health issue. PLOS ONE, 19(2).
• Ghosh, D. (2023, May 18). Between autonomy and equality: Rethinking prenatal sex detection in Bangladesh. University of Groningen.
• Giffords Law Center. (2022). Gun law scorecard 2022.
• Nussbaum, A. (2024, November 10). Mel Gibson’s gun rights restored, says attorney general. People.
• Sanctuary for Families. (n.d.). The femicide epidemic.
• Shoichet, C. E. (2023, January 10). Timeline: The disappearance of Ana Walshe. CNN.
• Sommers, Z. (2016). Missing white woman syndrome: An empirical analysis of race and gender disparities in online news coverage of missing persons. Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, 106(2).
• Tahirih Justice Center. (n.d.). Domestic and sexual violence.
• The Guardian. (2021, October 23). Agnes Tirop: Kenyan Olympian’s funeral attended by over 1,000 mourners.
• UN Women. (2024, November). One woman or girl is killed every 10 minutes by their intimate partner or family member.
• United Nations Population Fund. (2021). State of World Population 2021: Autonomy and dignity.
• Urban Indian Health Institute. (2018). Missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls: A snapshot of data from 71 urban cities in the United States.
• Violence Policy Center. (2023). Female homicide victimization by males.
• Violence Policy Center. (2023). When men murder women: An analysis of 2021 homicide data.
• Wexler, L. (2022, June 3). What is the boyfriend loophole—and how is it being addressed? The Journalist’s Resource.
• Wilson, L. (2025, June 27). Trump proposal would make it easier for domestic abusers to get guns. The 19th.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on femicide and gender-based violence directly addresses and connects to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The primary goals identified are:

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  This is the most central SDG to the article. The text’s entire focus is on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls by highlighting the most extreme form of gender-based violence: femicide. It discusses how women are killed “simply because of their gender,” the prevalence of intimate partner violence, and systemic issues like “male entitlement” and “gendered root cause[s]” of violence. The article explicitly frames femicide as a global failure to protect women’s fundamental right to life, free from gender-based threats.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  The article extensively critiques the failure of justice systems and institutions to protect women, which is a core component of SDG 16. It points to specific institutional weaknesses, such as the lack of an official crime category for femicide in the U.S., which makes the problem “invisible” in policy and data. It also highlights the failure to enforce protective measures (“restraining orders go unenforced”), legal loopholes (the “boyfriend loophole”), and the dismissal of women’s pleas for help by law enforcement, all of which demonstrate a lack of access to justice and ineffective institutions.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  The article emphasizes that the burden of gender-based violence is not borne equally by all women, directly linking to the goal of reducing inequalities. It provides specific data showing that “the risk is disproportionately higher for women of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, indigenous women, and immigrants.” The text cites that “Black women are murdered at nearly three times the rate of white women” and that Indigenous women face murder rates “up to ten times higher than the national average,” illustrating a clear inequality of outcome based on race and ethnicity.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the issues discussed, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Under SDG 5 (Gender Equality):

   • Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres. The article’s central theme is the “silent epidemic” of femicide, particularly intimate partner femicide, which is the ultimate form of violence against women in the private sphere. It provides statistics like “nearly three women are killed every single day by an intimate partner in the United States” and describes murders in homes, directly addressing this target.
   • Target 5.3: Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation. The article touches upon this target by discussing “honor killings,” a harmful practice where women are “murdered by family members for perceived dishonor.” It also mentions the issue of “gender-biased sex selection” in Bangladesh as a threat to female lives even before birth.

2. Under SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions):

   • Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. The article is fundamentally about the failure to reduce a specific death rate: the femicide rate, which “has barely budged” despite other societal advances. It calls for recognizing and tracking these deaths to enable their reduction.
   • Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all. This target is highlighted through the article’s critique of systemic legal failures. The fact that “there is no official crime category for femicide” in the U.S., that “restraining orders go unenforced,” and that the “boyfriend loophole” has allowed abusers access to guns are all examples of a failure to promote the rule of law and ensure equal access to justice for female victims of violence.

3. Under SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities):

   • Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices. The article directly addresses inequalities of outcome by presenting data on the disproportionately high murder rates for Black and Indigenous women. It also points to discriminatory practices, such as the “Missing White Woman Syndrome,” where media and law enforcement neglect cases involving women of color, leading to unequal outcomes in justice and safety.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article is rich with statistics and data points that serve as direct or implied indicators for measuring progress.

1. Indicators for SDG 5 & 16 (Violence & Death Rates):

   • Number/Rate of intentional homicides of women, by perpetrator: The article provides numerous figures that can be used as indicators.
     • “Nearly three women are killed every single day by an intimate partner in the United States.”
     • “Over 55% of all female homicide victims in America are killed by current or former intimate partners.”
     • “In 2020 alone, more than 2,000 women were murdered by men.”
     • Globally, “every 10 minutes, a woman or girl is killed by an intimate partner or family member.”
     • “85,000 women and girls were killed intentionally in 2023.”
   • Prevalence of harmful practices: The article provides an estimate for honor killings, which serves as an indicator for Target 5.3: “an estimated 5,000 honor killings occur each year worldwide.”

2. Indicators for SDG 10 (Inequality):

   • Disaggregated data on homicide rates by race/ethnicity: The article provides clear indicators of inequality.
     • “Black women are murdered at nearly three times the rate of white women in the U.S.”
     • Indigenous women “face murder rates up to ten times higher than the national average.”
   • Data on institutional neglect and response: The gap in data collection for Indigenous women is a powerful indicator of systemic inequality.
     • “The National Crime Information Center logged 5,712 cases of missing Indigenous women in 2016 alone, but only 116 were logged in the Department of Justice’s missing persons database.”

3. Indicators for SDG 16 (Justice):

   • Data on firearm involvement in domestic violence: The article implies an indicator for policy effectiveness with the statistic: “The presence of a firearm in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of death by 500%.” Tracking this figure would measure the impact of laws like the “boyfriend loophole.”
   • Lack of specific legal frameworks: The statement that “there is no official crime category for femicide” in the U.S. is itself a qualitative indicator of an institutional gap. The creation of such a category would be a measure of progress.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

SDGs	Targets	Indicators Identified in the Article
SDG 5: Gender Equality	5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls. 5.3: Eliminate all harmful practices (e.g., honor killings).	Proportion of female homicides committed by intimate partners (U.S.: “Over 55%”). Frequency of femicide by intimate partner or family member (Global: “every 10 minutes”). Annual number of honor killings (Global estimate: “5,000… each year”). Number of women killed by their husbands/in-laws in a specific country (Bangladesh, 2023: “at least 235 women”).
SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions	16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. 16.3: Promote the rule of law and ensure equal access to justice.	Total number of intentional killings of women and girls (Global, 2023: “85,000”). Total number of women murdered by men over time (U.S., since 1996: “over 45,000”). Existence of a legal crime category for femicide (U.S.: currently does not exist). Increased risk of homicide due to firearm presence in domestic violence situations (“increases the risk of death by 500%”).
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities	10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome.	Homicide rates disaggregated by race (U.S.: “Black women are murdered at nearly three times the rate of white women”). Homicide rates for Indigenous populations compared to the national average (U.S.: “up to ten times higher”). Discrepancy in official data on missing persons for Indigenous women (5,712 cases vs. 116 logged in DOJ database).

Source: now.org