Femicide is like a plague; it has taken the lives of many over time and has become too normalized across the world. What can be done to ensure that women do not fear for their lives? It is one of the questions that we should all ask ourselves. The truth is that femicide has increased drastically over the years. We need to start addressing this matter and begin to raise awareness in the community. In Five Essential Facts to Know About Femicide by UN Women, “Femicide is the intentional killing driven by the discrimination against women and girls, unequal power relations, and gender stereotypes or harmful social norms” (UN Women, 2024). These types of extreme and brutal manifestation of violence against women and girls can occur on a continuum of multiple and related forms of violence, at home, in workplaces, schools or public spaces including intimate partner violence, sexual harassment and other forms of sexual violence, harmful practices, and trafficking (UN Women, 2024). These attackers can be anyone from your close relatives, friends, to strangers. Which is why we as a community need to take accountability for raising awareness and bringing solutions to ensure the safety of women and girls, or anyone. 

Hira Anwar was born and raised in New York. She was your typical American teenager, having fun with friends, dreaming big, and posting videos on TikTok. However, at home her reality was very different. Her parents, Pakistani immigrants who had settled in the United States over two decades ago, expected her to adhere to their cultural and religious values, which demanded modesty from women (ur-Rehman, 2025). She is an example of femicide committed by close relatives; her father and uncle in Pakistan took part in her death. It was later revealed that the reasoning behind Hira Anwar’s death was subjected to “honor killing” because her bold, expressive lifestyle, social relationship, and clothing brought “dishonor” to her family. In addition to the New York Times, The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, an independent rights group, recorded 558 so-called honor killings in Pakistan in 2024, 490 in 2023, matching the 590 reported in 2022 by honor killing. (ur-Rehman, 2025). 

Morris Tidball-Binz is a medical doctor specializing in forensic science, human rights, and humanitarian action. He was appointed the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions. He contributed to the development and global use of forensic science in investigating and documenting extrajudicial killings, detention conditions, and humanitarian crises in armed conflicts and natural disasters (United Nations Human Rights). 

Tidball-Binz talks about the acts of gender-based violence against girls and women occurring because the political unit and government do not address the importance of this issue, as well as not bringing awareness to femicide. In Femicides Are a Pandemic, Says UN Expert, by UN, Tidball-Binz and the United Nations highlighted the issue and pushed for justice, emphasizing the need for stronger legal and administrative protections for women. Tidball-Binz said Femicide is a global tragedy of pandemic proportions because tens of thousands of women and girls, including trans women, are murdered worldwide each year due to their gender, and many more are at risk of dying as a result of gender-based violence because governments neglect their responsibility to adequately protect victims’ lives and guarantee their safety. (United Nation). Tidball-Binz and the United Nations urge states to comply with their obligations and intensify efforts to investigate and eradicate femicide and make recommendations based on best practices. 

In essence, everyone needs to realize that women are entitled to a sense of safety. It is unacceptable to limit a woman, regardless of her age or social standing, to the extent of employing violence to kill her because of sexist and irrational ideas. It’s fascinating that certain subjects are discussed just once or twice before being forgotten. In addition to taking away the joy of people who lost that individual, these and several more instances where ladies leave their houses or are inside, and “magically” appear lifeless, making women all over the world more afraid and unsafe. 

According to Femicide Prevention Strategy Development Process: The South African Experience by Shai et al. and Femicide and Public Health Ethics: Approaching Gender-Based Violence and Death in the Health Professions by Bansal et al., discuss many preventive strategies to fight back against femicide. Developing a legal framework run by the government such as South Africa’s National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (NSP-GBVF), and the Emergency Response Action Plan (ERAP), along with the Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), can identified weakness in law enforcement’s handling of femicide cases, leading to policy improvement. Possessing data and surveillance systems, like establishing a femicide watch system to track cases effectively. As well as consulting with civil society, academics, and policymakers to ensure a holistic approach to ensure the safety of women and girls. According to Shai et al., UNODC recommends national Femicide Watches, showing that countries with structured tracking systems see better prevention outcomes. Bring public awareness and education through media representation matter in a modern society. For example, international studies show that countries with strong victim support services and firearm restrictions have lower femicide rates. Additionally, Healthcare interventions like training doctors to recognize early femicide risk in Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) survivors. For example, doctors and police often dismiss women’s reports of IPV, which prevents early intervention. According to Bansal et al., the article cites the case of Azsia Johnson, a woman murdered by her abusive ex-partner despite filing a police complaint and seeking help at a domestic violence center, highlighting the failure of intervention systems. Finally, recognizing individuals’ experiences of discrimination and marginalization, such as broadening criteria to encompass victims of LGBTQ+ crimes and femicide instances involving mental health issues. For example, UNODC reported 47,000 women killed by family or partners in 2020, but many cases remain undocumented due to gender bias in official statistics.

In conclusion, femicide is a global tragedy that has taken the lives of countless women and girls, caused by damage to societal norms and deeply embedded gender discrimination. Extensive legal forms must increase public awareness, and the development of support networks capable of effectively intervening and preventing violence against women and girls. Hira Anwar’s tragic incidents highlight the necessity of more significant systemic and cultural reforms to safeguard women’s safety and autonomy. Our society needs to prioritize ending femicide by encouraging accountability for change by sharing, which not only includes government action but also active involvement of individuals and communities in opposing discriminatory practices, supporting survivors, and fighting for justice. We need to ensure that women can live in safety, free from harm and violence, and that they are no longer afraid of stepping outside. 

Work Cited

Bansal, E., et al. “Femicide and Public Health Ethics: Approaching Gender-Based Violence and Death in the Health Professions.” Public Health Ethics, vol. 16, no. 2, 2023, pp. 117–122. Oxford University Press, https://doi.org/10.1093/phe/phac031. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.

“Five Essential Facts to Know About Femicide.” UN Women – Headquarters, 25 Nov. 2024, https://www.unwomen.org/en/articles/explainer/five-essential-facts-to-know-about-femicide.

Prashad, J. “Femicide from a Global Perspective.” Humanium, 18 Feb. 2020, https://www.humanium.org/en/femicide-from-a-global-perspective/.

Tidball-Binz, Morris. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-executions/mr-morris-tidball-binz.

Shai, N., L. Ramsoomar, and N. Abrahams. “Femicide Prevention Strategy Development Process: The South African Experience.” Peace Review, vol. 34, no. 2, 2022, pp. 227–245. Taylor & Francis, https://doi.org/10.1080/10402659.2022.2049001. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.

United Nations. “Los Feminicidios Son Una Pandemia, Dice UN Experto de La ONU.” United Nations, https://news.un.org/es/story/2023/10/1525152.

Ur-Rehman, Zia. “Father Slays New York Girl, 14, in TikTok ‘Honor Killing.’” The New York Times, 30 Jan. 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/30/world/asia/pakistan-new-york-honor-killing.html.