The gender-related killing of women is the most extreme form of violence against women. However, there is no internationally agreed common definition of this phenomenon, whether it is called “femicides”, “feminicides” or “gender-related killings”. In most countries, data collection regarding its prevalence, and analyses linking the killing of women with intimate partner violence, gender inequality, gender stereotypes and misogyny, are missing.
The Parliamentary Assembly adopted Resolution 1654 (2009) and Recommendation 1861 (2009) “Feminicides”, calling for data collection, analysis of protection gaps, preventive measures and the integration of aggravating circumstances in criminal legislation when women are killed “because of their gender”. Almost two decades later, with hundreds of women killed in Europe each year by their current or former intimate partner, family members or other persons, these calls remain largely unheeded.
The Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (CETS. No. 210, “Istanbul Convention”) addresses physical, psychological, sexual, economic and other forms of gender-based violence against women. However, in many countries the wider societal and/or individual context of gender-based violence leading to murders of women is not considered, resulting in a failure to correctly characterise the nature of such murders and address the dynamics of the continuum of violence against women.
Parliamentarians play a key role in raising awareness of gender-related violence, including killings, as well as in ensuring that measures to prevent and combat such violence are in place and effectively applied. The Assembly should identify and call for resolute steps to strengthen awareness of, recognition and accountability across our member States for murders of women, acknowledging their gender-related motivations and characteristics through legal measures, data collection and analysis, in line with the Istanbul Convention and ongoing work by the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO).