FEMICIDE

• DEFINED AS THE EXTREME MANIFESTATION OF EXISTING FORMS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST

WOMEN

• A PHENOMENON LINKED CLOSELY WITH SEXUAL VIOLENCE ENACTED TO PUNISH, BLAME AND
CONTROL THE ACTIONS, EMOTIONS AND BEHAVIOUR OF WOMEN.

• FEMICIDE IS DISTINCT FROM GENERAL HOMICIDE BECAUSE THE INSTANCES OCCUR IN

DOMESTIC SETTINGS AS A RESULT OF INTIMATE PARTNER OR FAMILY VIOLENCE, WHILE
HOMICIDE OFTEN FOCUS ON STREET VIOLENCE AND ORGANIZED CRIME, LEAVING ASIDE
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
TYPES OF FEMICIDE
INTIMATE FEMICIDE
• FEMICIDE COMMITTED BY A CURRENT OR FORMER HUSBAND OR BOYFRIEND
• ACCOUNTS FOR 40–50% OF ALL DEATHS OF AMERICAN WOMEN KILLED, AND EACH DAY IN
THE UNITED STATES RESULTS IN THE DEATHS OF FOUR WOMEN

• ONE OF THE MAIN MOTIVES THAT CAUSE MEN TO KILL THEIR INTIMATE PARTNERS
IS JEALOUSY, WHICH JACQUELYN CAMPBELL ARGUES IS THE MALE EFFORTS TO CONTROL
AND POSSESS WOMEN TO DISPLAY OWNERSHIP AND REINFORCE PATRIARCHY.
SERIAL FEMICIDE
• DEFINED AS "THE SEXUALLY SADISTIC KILLING OF WOMEN," ALSO CALLED "SEXUAL
TERRORISM."

• MANY CASES OF SERIAL MURDER CAN ALSO BE CONSIDERED TO BE CASES OF MALE-

PERPETRATED CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN AS A MEANS FOR MEN TO ACHIEVE SEXUAL
GRATIFICATION AND DOMINANCE OVER WOMEN.

• THE ADVENT OF FILMS THAT EROTICIZE VIOLENCE AND MURDER OF WOMEN HAS BEEN
CORRELATED TO THE DESIRES OF SERIAL KILLERS
RACIST FEMICIDE
• THE HOPE MOVEMENT DEFINES RACIST FEMICIDE AS RACIALLY MOTIVATED KILLING OF
WOMEN BY MEN OF A DIFFERENT RACE.

• MEDIA COVERAGE ESPECIALLY CAN EXHIBIT BIAS WHEN COVERING THE MURDERS OF
BLACK VERSUS WHITE WOMEN.
DOWRY-RELATED FEMICIDE
• IT OCCURS PRIMARILY IN AREAS OF THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT, AND INVOLVES NEWLY
MARRIED WOMEN BEING KILLED BY IN-LAWS OVER CONFLICTS RELATED TO DOWRY, SUCH
AS BRINGING INSUFFICIENT DOWRY TO THE FAMILY
 NON-INTIMATE FEMICIDE
• FEMICIDE COMMITTED BY SOMEONE WITHOUT AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
VICTIM IS KNOWN AS NON-INTIMATE FEMICIDE, AND FEMICIDE INVOLVING SEXUAL
AGGRESSION IS SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS SEXUAL FEMICIDE.
CAUSES AND RISKS OF FEMICIDE
• A NUMBER OF FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE PREVALENCE OF FEMICIDE INCLUDE
DISCRIMINATION, PRESENCE OF A CULTURE OF VIOLENCE, IMPUNITY, AND POVERTY.

• TEENAGERS, YOUNG WOMEN, WOMEN WHO ARE ECONOMICALLY INDEPENDENT OR HEADS

OF HOUSEHOLD, AND MIGRANT WOMEN ARE USUALLY AT RISK TO BE VICTIMS OF FEMICIDE
NECESSARY SOLUTIONS
• RESPONSES TO FEMICIDE MUST BE COMPREHENSIVE AND INVOLVE:
• DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF STRONG LEGISLATION
• GENDER SENSITIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT POLICIES AND PROTOCOLS
• AWARENESS PROMOTION AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL
• SUPPORT FOR INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES EXPERIENCING VIOLENCE
• REALIZATION OF WOMEN’S SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL RIGHTS
• EDUCATING MEN AND BOYS
• EDUCATING WOMEN AND GIRLS