Femicide: why giving it a name matters
9 December 2025
Italy’s new law provides recognition and long-overdue condemnation of rising violence against women and girls.
On 25 November – International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women – the Italian Parliament voted unanimously to make femicide a distinct crime punishable by life imprisonment. The passing of this law was applauded globally as a significant step against gender-based violence. More broadly, it also demonstrates the power of a name in terms of raising awareness, empowering advocacy and creating accountability.
Femicide is defined as the intentional killing of a woman or girl with a gender-related motivation
Italy’s law cementing the definition of femicide came as a result of rising public condemnation of violence against women. There had been a particular spotlight on femicide in the country following the 2023 murder of university student Giulia Ceccetin by her former partner. Giulia was the 105th woman killed in Italy that year.
Femicide is a global problem
A recent UN report suggests that, in 2024, 83,000 girls and women were intentionally killed in gender-motivated killings, and in 60% of these, the perpetrator was an intimate partner or other family member. That means that every 10 minutes a woman was killed by her partner or family member. While these figures are staggering, actual figures are likely to be much worse. For roughly four in ten intentional murders of women and girls, there is not enough information to identify them as gender-related killings due to variations in definitions, criminal reporting or investigation practices between countries.
A recent UN report suggests that, in 2024, a woman was killed by her partner or a family member every 10 minutes.
What made the Italian law so powerful was its designation of femicide as a distinct violent crime
Italy is just one of 30 countries that have enacted specific femicide laws; of the other countries, 17 are in Latin America. The laws in that region came as a result of combined forces, including a landmark regional convention and a powerful grassroots movement. The movement, which started in 2015 under the banner Ni Una Menos – not one less – came about after a series of high-profile murders of women in Argentina. (The Italian movement adapted the name – Non Una di Meno.)
Not only did several countries in Latin America enact femicide laws, they also implemented comprehensive legal provisions, including clear definitions, tiered penalties, and sanctions that include both imprisonment and the loss of parental and inheritance rights. But sadly, in countries where a legal vacuum around femicide still exists, women have yet to receive adequate legal safeguarding. In the 21st century, only 11% of the world’s women live in countries where there are laws against femicide.
Every femicide accounted for is an opportunity to prevent others
If cases are counted, these data can be used to raise awareness, build advocacy and track numbers, with the ultimate goal of preventing violence against women and girls. Data are also essential to create accountability to take action. If a woman’s death is not specifically counted as a femicide, it is neither recognised nor reported, and actions taken to understand why it happened and prevent further cases are never taken.
Only 11% of the world’s women live in countries where there are laws against femicide.
Naming femicide also forces societies to look at the root causes behind it and take actions to prevent them
Invariably, the root causes are complex. One of the Italian judges – a leading architect of the femicide law – made the point of how important it was to strip these crimes from any romanticised or dramatic language. Calling them ‘acts of passion’ or ‘acts of madness driven by extreme jealousy’ only belittles the seriousness of the crimes.
It follows that tackling femicide requires a cross-cutting, comprehensive approach focusing on primary prevention, changing social norms and engaging whole communities to create zero tolerance for violence against women. It is also important to recognise the role of social media in encouraging denigrating portrayals of women.
Change must be seen as possible
Femicide is the most extreme manifestation of violence against women. As the mother of two teenage girls, it is impossible for me not to react with horror and fear when faced by these hideous statistics.
It is also a sobering reminder that, while my generation of women may have succeeded in curbing some unacceptable behaviours towards girls and women, threats to girls’ and women’s safety are, sadly, far from over. And no one, regardless of age or gender, should ever allow themselves to adopt a ‘what will be will be’ attitude to any threat, no matter how seemingly minor, towards girls and women.
For the sake of our daughters, and for future generations of women, we have to engage in genuine dialogue to try to understand the why – and work together, bridging genders, professions and political persuasions to commit to and realise lasting societal change.