Violence against women

More common for a British mother to be murdered by her son than by a stranger

Every ten minutes a woman is murdered by someone close to her globally. One in three women is subjected to sexual or physical violence at some point in her life. This is reported by the UN in an international campaign against violence against women, according to AFP.

In the UK, it was more common for a mother to be murdered by her own son than by a stranger in 2022, writes the BBC, referring to a report from the Femicide Census. Slightly more were murdered by their current or former partner.

Violence affects the whole of society, says UN Women Sweden's Secretary General Ulrika Grandin to Syre:

- It takes resources for health care, psychosocial support, correctional care and sheltered housing. But above all, most women have probably felt fear of being subjected to violence. 

South African women arm themselves against male violence: “Enough is enough”

More and more South African women are obtaining gun licenses and arming themselves to protect themselves from male violence, reports the BBC. The country’s figures for gender-based violence and murder are among the highest in the world, according to the UN.

“Women must say enough is enough,” says firearms instructor Lynette Oxley, emphasizing that actually using firearms is an absolute last resort.

South Africa declared a national state of emergency this week due to violence against women after protests in several parts of the country, reports The Guardian.

“No woman should be forced to use a gun, but having one gives a sense of control and not being a victim,” says rape survivor Arika before she takes aim and fires.

One in three women in the world is subjected to sexual or physical violence at some point in her life, the UN reports in a global campaign against violence against women, according to AFP. Six out of ten are subjected to it by a close relative.