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Introduction
Introduction
Femicide as a manifestation of discrimination against women is still not comprehensively studied due, first of all, to the lack of inclusive and trustworthy data as well as the lack of a unified approach amongst states to qualify the homicide of women as femicide.
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According to the World Health Organization, 35% of homicides against women are committed by current or former partners. The same source notes, however, that this statistic is incomplete.1
According to non-formal statistics, more women die around the world from gender-based violence than from cancer, wars or any infectious disease.2 According to UN data,3 women are much more likely to be killed by their current or former partners and family members than men.
Femicide is a kind of crime that is depoliticized by the patriarchal system and described as a crime only “crazy” people commit. As a consequence, many criminals do not receive a punishment commensurate to the crime committed. The system is sustained and self-preserved by rationalizing the homicide of women.
1 See Understanding and Addressing Violence Against Women, WHO, 2012, available at: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/77421/WHO_RHR_12.38_eng.pdf;jsessio nid=7E6EFECBD717D4371CE9D0E3EA3B05A6?sequence=1. 2 See Femicide A Global Issue that Demands Action, p.16, 2013, Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS) Vienna Liaison Office, available at:http://www. genevadeclaration.org/fileadmin/docs/Co-publications/Femicide_A%20Gobal%20 Issue%20that%20demands%20Action.pdf. 3 See Global Homicide Book, UNODC, 2013, pp 13-14, available at:https://www.unodc. org/documents/data-and-analysis/statistics/GSH2013/2014_GLOBAL_HOMICIDE_ BOOK_web.pdf.
In order to eradicate the root causes of femicide, it should be borne in mind that femicide is a political crime that demands universal recognition and a systemic response. It is very important to address its real roots and to approach the idea that femicide is an extreme manifestation of applying power over the life and body of a woman.
