New UN Report: Home is Not a 'Safe Haven' for Women

The United Nations, coinciding with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, has identified 'home' as the 'deadliest place' for women. According to statistics from this international body, the murder of women primarily occurs at home and at the hands of their relatives. A report released by the UN on Monday, December 5, in honor of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, shows that in the past year, 51,100 women and girls were murdered by their partners or family members, averaging 140 women and girls killed each day. This figure was 48,800 in 2022. The new UN report emphasizes that the percentage of women killed by their partners at home is high in Europe and the US, concluding that 'home is the most dangerous place for women and girls.' The highest number of domestic murders by partners has been recorded in Africa, with nearly 3 per 100,000 people. The US and Oceania follow with 1.6 and 1.5 female victims per 100,000, respectively. The situation in Asia and Europe is somewhat 'better,' with statistics of 0.8% and 0.6% female victims per 100,000 population, respectively. The report also mentions the deaths of men and boys due to violence, which are statistically higher than those of women. However, a notable point emphasized in the report is that the vast majority of male murders occur outside the home and family, suggesting that home remains a safe space for men. As the UN report indicates, wives and partners of women, and even their families, can create an unsafe environment for them. According to a report published by the newspaper Etemad this year on the status of female murders in Iran in the first six months, 78 women were killed by their relatives, including uncles or cousins, under the guise of 'honor.' This statistic only pertains to murders reported in various publications, and the actual figures are likely much higher. In recent weeks, two lawyers in Iran have murdered their wives at home, one of whom was a journalist. This has brought back to the forefront the 'Women's Security Bill' that was presented to the parliament in 2016 by the Office of Women and Family Affairs under President Hassan Rouhani. Shahindokht Molaverdi, the then Deputy for Women and Family Affairs, believed that the aim of the bill was to ensure women's security, incorporating various legal measures designed to include deterrent, protective, and supportive aspects. Despite the government's and judiciary's approval, this bill has remained dormant in parliament for the past eight years without any changes. Amidst the silence of the parliament, however, women continue to be murdered by their relatives, even in their own homes.