U.N. report: Women, girls face higher risk of murder by family member
November 24, 2022, 6:42 am

U.N. report: Women, girls face higher risk of murder by family member

A new report finds that the deadliest place for many women and girls around the world is right at home, according to the United Nations.

The study released Wednesday by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, and the group U.N. Women, found 56% of the 81,000 women and girls murdered last year died at the hands of their husband, partner or other relative. That is an estimated 45,000 women and girls killed by a partner or family member in 2021, according to the United Nations.

"Behind every femicide statistic is the story of an individual woman or girl who has been failed. These deaths are preventable -- the tools and the knowledge to do so already exist," said Sima Bahous, executive director at U.N. Women, who revealed many gender-related murders are never identified or counted.

The U.N. report on violence against women comes two days before the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on Friday.

"No woman or girl should fear for her life because of who she is," Ghana Waly, UNODC executive director, said in a statement.

Women in Bangladesh should continue struggle to achieve equal status to men due to societal norms that enforce restrictive gender roles as well as poor implementation of laws that were set to protect women - Photo. Pixabay

"To stop all forms of gender-related killings of women and girls, we need to count every victim, everywhere and improve understanding of the risks and drivers of femicide so we can design better and more effective prevention and criminal justice responses."

Data from the U.N. study found a woman or girl is killed by an intimate partner or family member every 11 minutes.

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"Violence against women and girls is the most pervasive human rights violation in the world," U.N. chief Antonio Guterres said Wednesday in a speech that also targeted rampant online violence, misogynistic hate speech and sexual harassment.

"Every 11 minutes, a woman or a girl is killed by an intimate partner or family member -- and we know that other stresses, from the COVID-19 pandemic to economic turmoil, inevitably lead to even more physical and verbal abuse," Guterres said.

While domestic violence is a problem worldwide, the U.N. study found regional disparities. Asia recorded the largest number of gender-related killings at home in 2021, according to the United Nations.

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The report also found a significant rise in gender-related killings at home during the COVID-19 pandemic in North America and in Western and Southern Europe.

"This discrimination, violence and abuse targeting half of humanity come at a steep cost," Gutteres said. "It limits women's and girls' participation in all walks of life, denies their basic rights and freedoms and blocks the equal economic recovery and sustainable growth our world needs."

Source: upi

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”