A U.N. report has revealed that 87,000 women were murdered in 2017 and that more than half of them were killed by family members or intimate partners.
The report concluded that the most dangerous place for women to be is in their own homes.
The report analyzed violence against women around the world in 2017. They looked at intimate partners and family-related killings such as dowry and honor-related killings.
They found that more than half, 50,000 or 58%, were killed by partners or family.
Over a third, 30,000 of those intentionally killed were murdered by a current or former intimate partner.
Globally that is six women were killed every hour by someone they knew.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres described violence against women as a "global pandemic."
"It is a moral affront to all women and girls, a mark of shame on all our societies, and a major obstacle to inclusive, equitable, and sustainable development," he said. "At its core, violence against women and girls is the manifestation of a profound lack of respect ― a failure by men to recognize the inherent equality and dignity of women. It is an issue of fundamental human rights."
The report highlighted that women are more likely to die from domestic violence than men are. The study showed that 82% of intimate homicide victims are women and 18% are men.
"While the vast majority of homicide victims are men, women continue to pay the highest price as a result of gender inequality, discrimination, and negative stereotypes. They are also the most likely to be killed by intimate partners and family," UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov said.
The study suggested that violence against women has increased in the last five years, drawing on data from 2012 in which 48,000 (47 percent) of female homicides were perpetrated by intimate partners or family members.
You can read the full report here U.N. study.
It is important to acknowledge that domestic violence is not gender-specific, but due to the study being based on women only that is the premise of this article.
