Femicide: Why we need new approaches to end the killings of women

The recent killings of women in Kenya in the most gruesome circumstances have shone a spotlight on a national and global problem of lethal violence against women and girls.

These killings have provoked a debate on whether there is an increase in such cases and whether to call it ‘femicide’ or ‘homicide’. A clarification on these terminologies is important so as not to unnecessarily be side-tracked by semantics.

Homicide refers to the killing of a person by another and encapsulates various typologies. The details of the incident are critical to the determination whether the homicide was intentional, accidental or even through negligence.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) defines intentional homicide as “unlawful death purposefully inflicted on a person by another person”.

Femicide or feminicide is a category of homicide that refers to the intentional killings of women and girls committed on the grounds of gender-related factors. Underpinning these killings are ideas and norms of male power, privilege and superiority that fuel these kinds of killings. 

The official data on homicides in Kenya is from the National Police Service Annual Crime Report which is a count of cases reported or discovered. However, from the statistics, it is not possible to distinguish between intentional and unintentional homicides. The summary statistics provide a count of female and male victims of homicide. On average seven people are killed daily in Kenya, out of these five males and two females. In Kenya, as elsewhere, the majority of victims of homicides are men and the perpetrators are also overwhelmingly men.

Given these statistics, then, is there a cause for alarm over the killings of women in Kenya or is it a case of moral panic? Is there value in the use of the terminology of femicide or does it generate more heat than light?

The evidence from data and research globally is overwhelming.  By all metrics the business of killing is male. Men kill other men and also kill women. Whereas on average more men fall victim to homicide there are several reasons why a specific focus on the killings is a critical public policy issue.

First, the killing of women and girls represents what experts have called “the lethal end point of a continuum of multiple, overlapping and interconnected forms of gender-based violence.”  From an early age, a large proportion of women are exposed to different forms of violence and the killings therefore emerge from that culture of violence. 

In Kenya, the 2022 Demographic and Health Survey data shows that 34 per cent of women report being exposed to violence from the age of 15. The spectrum of violence against women is mined with various levels of severity- from emotional to verbal, sexual and physical violence, and lethal violence at the end. 

Second, while most male victims of homicides are killed by strangers, overwhelmingly female victims are killed by men who are known to them. Data from various different countries shows that on average about 60 per cent of killings of females is either by spouses, brothers, fathers relatives, partners or persons with whom they are in a relationship of one kind or another. Even in the recent cases of Rita Waeni and Starlet Wahu who were killed in apartments rented for a short time (generally referred to as Airbnb even when not booked on the online platform), there was a level of interaction with the suspected killers. They were not killed by total strangers.

Third, for females, the place where they should be most safe —  home — is the most lethal. It is at home where women are killed by men that they should feel most safe from. When women are killed by strangers, it is most likely to be away from home or in the cause of other crimes like robbery at home. 

It is therefore not just the numbers of who gets killed that matter but the motivations and the reasons why. Some of the reasons why women get killed, in their homes or elsewhere, include jealous reaction by partners, domestic disputes and as a response to termination of relationships. For men, the most likely reasons for being killed are as a result of a confrontation with other men or as part of other acts such as robbery.

The evidence and data suggests that it is not any particular behaviour or conduct that makes women more vulnerable than men to lethal violence. Of course, just like men, women should avoid obviously unsafe places. However, in most cases risky behavior is not the key factor in in lethal violence against women. The majority of cases of femicide do not involve alcohol or drugs.

A recurring question is whether economic conditions fuel violence and crime. The data and research suggest that economic stress conditions are sometimes correlated with increased domestic conflicts which may turn into the killing of a partner. Where women have independent economic means, it lessens their dependence on an abusive partner and allows them to make decisions that may avert their victimisation and killing.

It is also generally evident that femicide is just the tip of the iceberg of broader gender-based violence under which a large percentage of women and girls find themselves pinned. The scale and nature of the problem is larger than the numbers of those killed.

Where then do we go from here?

First, we need a better understanding of the nature and scale of the problem. Data on homicides, femicide, violence and crime in Kenya is largely poor. Police statistics are an important indicator of homicides but without the context, it is difficult to determine the circumstances that led to a killing. Whether the perpetrators of femicides get arrested and prosecuted and convicted remains unclear. It is also difficult from available data to establish whether the criminal justice system is responding as it should to the problem. It is not clear whether there are segments of the population that are being left behind, how and why.

Second, since violence against women is structural, we need to address the scaffolding of ideas that supports that violence. It is not just public power that is at play and that needs to be transformed, but also the private power that makes the home and public spaces unsafe for women. Schools have to be supported to teach that violence is not the norm. Religious institutions and other voluntary institutions have to be incentivised to take up the responsibilities of delegitimising against women.  Resources have to be allocated for these preventive interventions consistently and progress measured. The interventions cannot be just the few ad hoc and donor supported measures that currently exist.

Third, there is the capacity strengthening of those who are the responders to incidents of violence against women. Training of law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and judicial officers is critical. However, there is need to evaluate the impact of previous training measures. Small-scale and episodic capacity-building interventions are unlikely to change large and complex organizations.

Fourth, and lastly, is the extension of support to the women and girls who are most exposed to violence. Information as well as availability of social workers is key. We need more than just a law enforcement approach to the problem. Victims of structural violence need support to walk out of the trap of violence due to a lack of support services.

- Dr Mutuma Ruteere is the Director, National Crime Research Centre. Email: [email protected]