Addressing the Unseen Crisis: Femicide and Gender-Based Violence in the United States
Published initially on GirlTalkHQ.com under the title “American Femicide Should Be A Wake-Up Call For Everyone: This Is Our Problem,” this article sheds light on the pressing issue of femicide in the United States compared to the attention it garners in other countries.
The Global Context of Femicide
This year, Italy has witnessed a disturbing rise in femicides, with 11 cases capturing international headlines and sparking a cultural movement for change. However, the issue is even more acute in the United States, where thousands of women fall victim to gender-based violence annually, often without the cultural acknowledgment that is desperately needed.
Fighting Gender-Based Violence: Policy Shortcomings
The recent United Nations Conference on the Status of Women in New York, although influential, failed to adequately address the escalating threats of gender-based violence or confront the consequences of prior U.S. administrative policies that jeopardize women’s progress. Current policies prioritize a narrow evaluation of government programs based on their perceived ability to enhance safety, strength, and prosperity for citizens, yet overlook the significant threats women face.
Unpacking the Drivers of Femicide
The intersecting factors driving femicide—aggressive masculinity, imbalanced gender power dynamics, homophobia and racism—remain unaddressed, and if anything, are exacerbated by our current politics.
Despite the presence of laws intended to protect women against violence, their effectiveness is undermined by a lack of resources and institutional support. Gender-based violence is deeply embedded in societal norms and is equally a pervasive problem in the U.S. as it is elsewhere.
A Time for Action: Understanding the Scale of Femicide in the U.S.
The issue of femicide was highlighted as a major concern at the U.N. Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995, which gave rise to the Beijing Platform for Action, a foundational document on women’s rights. Despite this historical commitment, the U.S. continues to grapple with alarmingly high femicide rates. Currently, approximately every 10 minutes, a woman is murdered by her partner or a family member, underscoring the severity of the crisis.
- The Americas report the second highest femicide rate globally, with approximately 1.6 per 100,000 women.
- In high-income countries, the U.S. is accountable for 70% of femicides.
- In 2020, over 2,000 women were killed by men in the U.S., many with firearms.
The Path to Prevention
Despite the knowledge that these deaths are preventable, U.S. policymakers have largely been unresponsive. Factors contributing to femicide—such as aggressive masculinity and societal inequalities—have not been sufficiently addressed by current political frameworks. The term “femicide” notably appears absent in the Biden-Harris administration’s 2024 progress report regarding the Beijing commitments, a glaring omission considering its grave implications.
A Call for Comprehensive Solutions
We need more investment in data collection and preventive strategies we know work, such as comprehensive sexuality education and early intervention programs.
The ongoing elimination of terms related to gender from U.S. federal programming along with funding cuts jeopardizes initiatives designed to combat gender-based violence. Improved data collection and analysis are critical to adequately confront the complexity of gender-based violence, enabling advocates and policymakers to devise effective strategies.
Moving Forward
The solutions to gender-based violence and femicide exist, but they require a significant commitment to support survivors and invest in prevention measures. A fundamental reassessment of gender-based violence in the U.S. is necessary, alongside a nationwide acknowledgment of the issue. The commitments made three decades ago in Beijing should serve as a framework for the U.S. to take decisive steps towards addressing this crisis effectively.