The most comprehensive compilation of information on the status of
women in the world.

Latest items for MURDER-PRACTICE-1

July 19, 2024, 9:09 p.m.
Countries: Sierra Leone
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1

“The handful of high-profile cases in Sierra Leone, including the most recent concerning the death of three girls [due to Female Genital Mutilation], investigated by police in January, would have been ignored were it not for campaigners agitating and pushing it into international focus and advocating, ‘yes to culture, no to the harmful practice of cutting’. A Bloodless Rite, a film made by Purposeful and activists, powerfully illustrates feminist solidarity and possibility of sacred female spaces” (6).
April 28, 2024, 11:37 p.m.
Countries: United Kingdom
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1

"The behaviour of British soldiers abroad came under renewed scrutiny after reports that a young Kenyan woman, Agnes Wanjiru, was killed in 2012 by a British soldier whose identity was known to members of his regiment" (para 6).
April 9, 2024, 9:31 p.m.
Countries: Cuba
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1

"The femicide that occurred in the province of Guantánamo triggered the most recent debate. In the first place, due to the use of inappropriate terms when referring to the facts. In addition, for the use of a firearm by a police officer" (para 2). "There is still a significant distance to be covered in terms of gender from the legal point of view; but with current regulations, it is already possible to articulate a series of policies, programs, or measures that deal with: Creation of specialized divisions for the investigation of crimes related to this type of violence (prosecutors, courts, police), including the offices where statements are made or complaints...more
Jan. 29, 2024, 6:01 p.m.
Countries: India
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1

"In India’s Jharkhand state and other tribal areas, for example, tribal women often face an uphill battle in inheriting property, and, in some cases, allegations of witchcraft are wielded against them to silence their claims. They might be branded as witches on the most absurd of suspicions, socially excommunicated, or worse still, lynched by villagers, their corpses left to rot in public" (para 5).
Dec. 21, 2023, 10:10 a.m.
Countries: Iran
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1

"Such treatment mirrors the tragic case of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old who was arrested last month for not wearing a hijab according to government standards and subsequently died in a Tehran hospital, having reportedly been beaten by police" (para 13). "In March, however, security guards used pepper spray to prevent around 2,000 female ticket-holders from entering a stadium in the city of Mashhad to watch another qualifier against Lebanon" (para 27).
Dec. 20, 2023, 11:14 a.m.
Countries: Iran
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1

"A senior Iranian official said this weekend that Iran had abolished the morality police, the state media reported, after months of protests set off by the death of a young woman who was detained by the force for supposedly violating the country’s strict Islamic dress laws" (para 1).
Dec. 20, 2023, 10:43 a.m.
Countries: France
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1

"'We see that sexism is a structural problem. It’s not just a question of discrimination in salaries and pensions or an increasing number of femicides, which are the visible part of the iceberg, but a whole mentality that needs to change,' El Khoury said"(para 15).
Sept. 22, 2023, 8:51 a.m.
Countries: Angola
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1

"There were anecdotal reports that some communities abused women and children due to accusations the latter practiced witchcraft" (19).
Sept. 18, 2023, 12:36 a.m.
Countries: India
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1, MARR-PRACTICE-7, DSFMF-PRACTICE-3

"Panchayats are often a profoundly regressive force in rural India, acting as kangaroo courts. They have ordered so-called honour killings of couples who have defied tradition by marrying into a different caste or faith or ordered brutal punishments for couples suspected of adultery" (para.10).
Sept. 18, 2023, 12:32 a.m.
Countries: Kenya
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1

"Gladys Wanjiku, 80, another Korogocho resident and member of the class, says criminals take advantage of the fact that most elderly women are widows who live by themselves. She says attackers follow elderly women to their houses during the day to see where they live, then return at night. 'Locking the door does not help because they come to the house and rip off parts of the wall as it’s made of recycled tins or corrugated iron. They rape and then strangle their victim,' she adds." (para.8) "Rosemary Ouma, 55, had heard about the group but never joined. Her wake-up call came in 2019 when a close friend was raped,...more
Aug. 15, 2023, 5:31 a.m.
Countries: Canada
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1

"One might argue these examples are anomalies, perpetrated by men with mental health issues. This is a common perpetrator-excusing rationale. This perception must change" (Para. 14-15). "Although the past month was full of tragedies for these women and their loved ones, three separate processes were also underway to help us move towards a better understanding and develop better responses to hate-motivated killings of women" (Para. 16). "The convicted male offender in the “Toronto Van Attack” was also sentenced for killing eight women and two men and injuring 16 others in 2018. He has said he drew his inspiration from the so-called incel online subculture of men united by sexual frustration...more
June 18, 2023, 9:21 a.m.
Countries: Malta
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1, DV-PRACTICE-1

"In cases of domestic violence and femicide, women almost always take the blame in the court of public opinion (Malta was obsessed by the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard libel case, which confirmed many people’s ideas about victims)."(Para.20).
June 14, 2023, 7:56 p.m.
Countries: Bolivia
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1

"Since March 2013 (the year Act No. 348 was enacted), a record has been kept of the number of femicide cases, criminal proceedings during the preliminary and preparatory investigation stages and court cases that are under way" (11).
May 12, 2023, 11:19 a.m.
Countries: Azerbaijan
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1

"One of the most high-profile cases of gender-based harassment against female journalists was that of Khadija Ismalylova. In 2012 she was blackmailed using footage of a sexual nature secretly filmed inside her apartment. She was threatened that these would be made public if she did not stop her work as a journalist. When she refused to comply, the recordings were published online. The ensuing smear campaign vilified her for having an intimate relationship as an unmarried woman and led her brother to threaten to kill her for 'dishonouring' the family. In 2014-2015 Khadija Ismalylova spent one and a half years in prison on trumped-up charges. The European Court of Human...more
May 12, 2023, 11:01 a.m.
Countries: Germany
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1

"Domestic violence is often an attempt to assert power, she believes. 'That means there is a desire of one partner, usually male, to control his partner, to rule over her,' Stotz continues. Many femicides occur directly after a breakup or 'when women want to withdraw from a relationship and their partners then lash out — sometimes with fatal consequences — because they feel robbed of what they believe they have at their disposal.' " (Para.18-19).
April 17, 2023, 2:24 p.m.
Countries: Mexico
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1

"Her absence was an immediate red flag for family and colleagues. Díaz loved her work and was diligent about showing up. Friends and relatives, aware of the alarming frequency with which women disappear here, papered their city of Ecatepec with flyers featuring her photo. After four days without any sign of Díaz, 30, they blocked the busy street in front of her school for three hours to demand action from authorities. Two days after the protest, her body was found in the brush alongside a highway." (para 2-3)(NF - CODER COMMENT - The amount of pressure that had to be lievied on local law enforcement shows that there is an...more
March 4, 2023, 7:01 a.m.
Countries: Egypt
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1

"The case gained widespread attention among Egyptian and Arab social media users, with many commending the girl’s courage to defend herself against such a heinous act" (Para. 6).
Feb. 24, 2023, 12:54 p.m.
Countries: Nepal
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1

The Witchcraft related Accusation (Offence and Punishment) Act, 2015 has been enforced aiming at eliminating the superstitious belief and harmful traditional practice of witchcraft allegation against women and men. It criminalizes the practices of inflicting torture, cruelty, inhumane and degrading treatment upon the person accused of witchcraft. Similarly, the Act also incorporates the provisions on victim support and compensation. (8)(NF - CODER COMMENT - The enactment of this law shows that there have been enough cases of women being accused of being witches and have been either injured or killed by these accusations. Thus, it could have been seen as socially acceptable for quite some time). "Positive activism manifested by...more
Feb. 18, 2023, 10:46 a.m.
Countries: Canada
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1

"The inquest, which heard from nearly 30 witnesses over three weeks, was meant to examine the systems that broke down in the weeks, months and years leading up to the day Basil Borutski got in a borrowed car, drove to Carol Culleton’s cottage and strangled her with a coaxial cable, then moved on to Anastasia Kuzyk’s house where he shot her to death and then to Nathalie Warmerdam’s farm where he shot her too" (Para.7).
Feb. 18, 2023, 10:18 a.m.
Countries: United Kingdom
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1

"The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said they must immediately stop getting complainants in rape and serious sexual offence cases to sign forms, known in England and Wales as Stafford statements, which give officers general consent to obtain often highly sensitive third-party materials, including medical, education and counselling records" (Para.2).
Feb. 2, 2023, 1:11 p.m.
Countries: Austria
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1

"The Committee welcomes the adoption by the State party of the Protection against Violence Law and the creation of the Inter-Ministerial Working Group on the Protection of Women against Violence. The Committee notes the following with concern, however: (a) The high number of femicides in the State party and the lack of comprehensive and updated statistical data on the phenomenon" (6). The high rate of femicides suggest socially acceptable reasons for killing women leaders (KMM-CODER COMMENT).
Jan. 12, 2023, 7:46 p.m.
Countries: Nigeria
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1

"Boko Haram jihadists slaughtered at least 26 women by slitting their throats after their commander accused them of being witches who caused the sudden death of his children in Nigeria." (para 1). "Around 40 women were held in a village near Gwoza town in Borno State, north-eastern Nigeria, on the orders of jihadist commander Ali Guyile after his children suddenly died overnight, according to relatives and a woman who escaped. They said the commander had accused the women of causing the children's deaths through witchcraft." (para 2-3). "On Thursday last week, 14 women were slaughtered in Gwoza town and a few days later, another 12 were killed by the Boko...more
Jan. 6, 2023, 8:24 p.m.
Countries: China
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1

"[In her song, Xiao Juan, Tan Weiwei sings,] 1) 'No one dares to disobey…You use your fists, petrol and sulfuric acid. 'Petrol' appears to refer to influencer Lamu, who was burned alive after being doused in petrol in the middle of a livestream in September [2020]. 2) 'Flush us down the drain, from wedding bed to riverbed, stuff my body into a suitcase.' In July, a Hangzhou woman was dismembered by her husband, and had her body parts dumped in a septic tank. A few months later in October, a female corpse was discovered cut up in a suitcase in Sichuan province. 3) 'Put it in a fridge on the...more
Jan. 6, 2023, 5:48 p.m.
Countries: Iran
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1

"Soheila Abadi, now 25, was hanged in prison after she was convicted of killing her husband over 'family disputes' according to the sentencing courts. Two other women executed on Wednesday were also convicted of murdering their husbands, Human Rights Watch said. Activists claim that most incidents of wives killing their husbands are sparked by domestic violence but the Iranian courts do not take this into account" (para 2-4)."Under Iranian law, the death penalty can be imposed for financial crimes, rape and armed robbery" (para 18). "Other activities protected by international human rights law such as homosexual acts, extramarital sexual relations and speech deemed 'insulting to the Prophet of Islam' as...more
Dec. 29, 2022, 12:26 p.m.
Countries: Uganda
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1

"Ritual attacks on children – especially those with albinism – are also often motivated by greed, a desire for power or a belief that their body parts can stave off ancestral wrath and cure everything from male impotency to poverty. Girls with albinism and mothers of children with albinism suffer extreme violence, including having their arms and legs hacked off while still alive...Uganda passed legislation last year banning human sacrifice and the possession of body parts" (para 8, 10).
Dec. 29, 2022, 12:26 p.m.
Countries: Malawi
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1

"Ritual attacks on children – especially those with albinism – are also often motivated by greed, a desire for power or a belief that their body parts can stave off ancestral wrath and cure everything from male impotency to poverty. Girls with albinism and mothers of children with albinism suffer extreme violence, including having their arms and legs hacked off while still alive... In Malawi, new laws resulted in reported attacks on people with albinism declining from 60 in 2016 to four in 2021" (para 8, 10).
Dec. 29, 2022, 12:26 p.m.
Countries: South Africa
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1

"Although less common than witchcraft accusations, ritual attacks on children – especially those with albinism – are also often motivated by greed, a desire for power or a belief that their body parts can stave off ancestral wrath and cure everything from male impotency to poverty. Girls with albinism and mothers of children with albinism suffer extreme violence, including having their arms and legs hacked off while still alive...Despite child protection laws, there remains a widespread problem in ...Tanzania, Central African Republic, Nigeria and South Africa" (para 8, 11).
Dec. 29, 2022, 12:26 p.m.
Countries: D R Congo
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1

"Although less common than witchcraft accusations, ritual attacks on children – especially those with albinism – are also often motivated by greed, a desire for power or a belief that their body parts can stave off ancestral wrath and cure everything from male impotency to poverty. Girls with albinism and mothers of children with albinism suffer extreme violence, including having their arms and legs hacked off while still alive...Despite child protection laws, there remains a widespread problem in ...the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Central African Republic, Nigeria and South Africa" (para 8, 11).
Dec. 29, 2022, 12:26 p.m.
Countries: Tanzania
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1

"Although less common than witchcraft accusations, ritual attacks on children – especially those with albinism – are also often motivated by greed, a desire for power or a belief that their body parts can stave off ancestral wrath and cure everything from male impotency to poverty. Girls with albinism and mothers of children with albinism suffer extreme violence, including having their arms and legs hacked off while still alive...Tanzania has established safe houses to protect children with albinism" (para 8, 10). "Despite child protection laws, there remains a widespread problem in ...Tanzania, Central African Republic, Nigeria and South Africa" (para 11).
Dec. 29, 2022, 12:26 p.m.
Countries: India, Papua New Guinea
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1

"Although less common than witchcraft accusations, ritual attacks on children – especially those with albinism – are also often motivated by greed, a desire for power or a belief that their body parts can stave off ancestral wrath and cure everything from male impotency to poverty. Girls with albinism and mothers of children with albinism suffer extreme violence, including having their arms and legs hacked off while still alive. It is not just children. Older women are singled out for attacks, sometimes murdered – as are people with disabilities or mental illness. And it is not a uniquely African issue – Papua New Guinea and India have also had cases...more