Speaking at the ECOSOC session at the Commission on the Status of Women at the UN in New York today, Soroptimist International expressed alarm at the increasing incidence of femicide – the killing of women and girls because they are female – and called for urgent, concerted action.

"Femicide is growing substantially all over the world and often remains unpunished, which not only intensifies the subordination and powerlessness of women and girls, but also sends the negative message to society that male violence against females may be both acceptable and inevitable", said Soroptimist International Assistant Programme Director Anusha Santhirasthipam, delivering a statement prepared by SI with the Vienna NGO Committee on the Status of Women and participants of the Vienna Symposium on Femicide in 2012.

"Traditions and culture cannot be used as justification for the violation of women’s Human Rights, in particular the right to life and the right to be free from violence".

Femicide is a form of gender-based killing that includes the killing of women as a result of intimate-partner violence, "honour" and dowry related killings; killing as a result of sexual orientation, sexual identity or accusations of witchcraft; female infanticide and sex-selective abortions and violent deaths of women resulting from human trafficking.

Read the full oral statement on femicide (pdf) delivered to CSW57.

Eradicating Femicide – a multi-level approach

Soroptimist International believes that femicide requires effort on all levels of society to achieve its eradication, with concerted action needed from Member States, UN and other international entities and civil society organisations. In the oral statement delivered today, SI makes the following recommendations.

Member states should: 

• adopt and implement legislation specifically targeting femicide, in line with effective experience in some countries;
• design, implement and evaluate prevention programmes
• ensure legal protection and public policies for survivors of violence against women;
• conduct research on public education and practical interventions to promote a culture of respect without discrimination.

Relevant United Nations entities should:

• assist and support Member States in developing and adapting measures and strategies to prevent and respond to femicide;
• conduct relevant research on femicide, particularly data collection, analysis, evaluation of existing programmes and policies to tackle femicide.

A "joined-up" approach, where organisations such as the Human Rights Council, Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination on Women work closely together is essential.

In order to ensure the necessary co-operation, Soroptimist International suggests in its statement the creation of a platform where legal officers, prosecutors, academics, feminists, NGOs, UN agencies, governmental and non-governmental institutions could share expertise and good practices.

Read more about CSW57 including live updates and photos.

Read a blog by Sujatha Balakrishnan, President of SI Bangalore (India) on Femicide in India.

Image: Top – SI Assistant Programme Director Anusha Santhirasthipam delivers the oral statement to ECOSOC session at CSW57; Bottom – Anusha with Ilona Graenitz, Chair of NGO CSW Vienna.