Femicide: A stark reality, often ignored, still wrapped under layers

Femicide is the killing of a woman or girl, in particular by a man, on account of her gender. While a country like Honduras is infamous for its femicide rates, it`s hardly the problem of one country. Among other countries, India also paints a bleak picture.

Atrocities against women are unfortunately nothing new. As per media reports, an estimated 35% of women globally have experienced physical or sexual violence. The perpetrators, shockingly include not just strangers, but mainly family members and intimate partners.  While women face the brunt of abuse and harassment daily, across the globe, femicide remains one of the most extreme forms of gender-based violence.

What is femicide?

As per the dictionary definition, femicide means the killing of a woman or girl, in particular by a man, on account of her gender. So put it simply, a woman or a girl is killed just because of the fact that they are female. They are frequently committed by domestic partners.

The shocking figures of Honduras

Poverty, gang violence and corruption have been the chief causes that are leading to violence against women in Honduras. The country has earned the dubious distinction of being the femicide epicentre of Latin America, a region considered unsafe for women. Locals have reported horrible killings of girls and women, and they are subjected to violence like limbs being cut off, skin being peeled off, etc.

As per details on statista.com, from January to August 2020, a total of 163 femicides were recorded in Honduras. February and March were the months with the highest number of femicide victims with 30 and 29 women murdered on account of their gender, respectively, the website said. The lockdown imposed by COVID-19 made the situation reportedly worse for women who were subjected to abuse and had no chance of "escaping".

"Two years ago, a young woman in San Pedro Sula told me, 'We are not migrating to have nicer lives — we are migrating to survive,' UNICEF Executive Director, Henrietta Fore said at a virtual briefing on the humanitarian situation in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, earlier this year. The statement highlights the state of affairs in the region.

Often, no protection from law

The Guardian in February reported the case of Martínez, a 26-year-old trainee nurse from La Esperanza, western Honduras, who died in police custody. She was detained for breaching a coronavirus curfew. While cops initially said, Martinez had killed herself, Guardian reported that a preliminary autopsy found she had died from “mechanical asphyxiation”. This was considered murder by many who said that this was just another case in a country known for the relentless killing of women.

Not an isolated affair

While Latin America in general and Honduras in particular, remain one of the most unsafe places for women in the world, femicide is not restricted to just one country. Across the world, even in some of the world's most developed nations, women are abused and killed for being women! For instance, as per media reports, ever since the outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020, the documented numbers of femicide in parts of Mexico have seen a sharp rise. Even a country like Canada hasn't spared its women. As per Global News, Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability’s (CFOJA)'s mid-year report revealed that 92 women and girls were killed, mostly by men, between January and June 2021. 

Closer home, India has had a dubious record of femicide and female infanticide and crime against women are rampant. Dowry deaths and honour killings are some of the examples of femicide that India deals with on a daily basis.

Lack of political will and normalising violence against women

While most countries have laws to protect women and their rights, often the laws are not implemented uniformly. There is a lack of political will, which has meant that the crime, in many countries, isn't treated with as much gravity and urgency that is required. Also, the cultural acceptance of violence against women makes things worse.