60% Increase in Femicide in Iran; Human Rights Activists Emphasize Awareness to Protect Women's Lives

Data from a specialized platform on gender-based killings in Iran indicates that in the first half of this year, the rate of femicide has increased by 60% compared to the same period last year. The platform "Stop Femicide Iran," which focuses on monitoring the killings of women in Iran, has analyzed the rate of these murders in a 18-month report on deadly violence against women and girls. In this report, femicide is described as "a crime internationally recognized as one of the most horrific and overlooked phenomena," tracking and analyzing the intentional killing of women and girls in Iran. For the past four years, this platform has provided users access to open data research on the phenomenon of femicide in Iran through an interactive map. The report emphasizes that femicide in Iran targets "the lives of girls and women from all walks of life," and these crimes, often committed by male family members, are seen "in urban and rural areas and across all levels of socio-economic status." The platform "Stop Femicide Iran" stresses the need for "increased awareness, support, and action to address the root causes of women's killings and protect women's lives from these atrocities." Marjan Keypour, a human rights activist and director of "Stop Femicide Iran," stated, "It is essential that we stand together to raise awareness, fight for justice, and ultimately stop the cycle of violence against women and girls. Every life lost due to gender-based killings is a tragedy that should not be ignored or left unanswered. We must eliminate harmful cultural norms and patriarchal systems that perpetuate this violence and build a society where all women can live without fear." An analysis of 156 recorded cases of gender-based killings in 2023 by this organization has shown that "factors such as increased state censorship, especially online, and the lack of public reporting by affected families due to distrust in the government" have played a role in these murders. Additionally, the analysis of the age distribution of victims indicates that "43% of the victims are young," falling within the "15 to 35 age range," and "a wide range of age groups are affected by gender-based killings." According to this report, the highest number of gender-based killings has been recorded in Tehran, which is ethnically, socially, and economically diverse. Furthermore, "the available data does not provide any information on the background of the victims, making it impossible to draw definitive conclusions about the relationship between femicide and ethnicity or socio-economic status." The report emphasizes that the majority of femicide perpetrators are "male family members, especially husbands," and many of these murders occur "due to familial reasons" and what is termed "honor." The report also stresses that "femicides do not exclude children," with "almost 10% of all" cases involving young girls as direct victims, and "12 cases of gender-based killings include victims who were forced into child marriage before their deaths." In the first half of 2024, the platform recorded "93 gender-based killings in Iran," which "compared to 55 cases" in the same period last year, "indicates an approximate 60% increase." Marjan Keypour previously stated in an interview with Voice of America that the Islamic Republic wants to impose its incomplete narrative about the rate of femicide, saying, "The Islamic Republic has not wanted to convey the horrific situation that women face to the world and has reported these figures with a minimal estimate, trying to keep the narrative in its own hands." This human rights researcher also emphasized, "The method of data collection by the Islamic Republic and its reflection in the media under its control is not something that can be relied upon and considered as reality."