Femicide refers to the killing of women and girls because of their gender. Statistics are usually hard to collect and coordinate, which makes it harder to counter killings.
European researchers from 30 countries set up the network to fight the phenomenon through advocacy, advising on policy and research. They have compared national statistics on femicide from 10 European countries.
It is the first time that a community of researchers has addressed the issue from an interdisciplinary perspective. They have looked at the victim and the perpetrator, and have studied the cultural, societal and psychologicalcauses and risks factors behind femicide. The network has engaged with advocates from women’s organisations and NGOs, local and national authority representatives working in prisons, police departments and shelters.
Network members have also been advocating for a more straightforward approach to lowering femicide rates in Europe. They have already addressed the Portuguese Parliament and the Parliament of Aragon in Spain. The network also took part in two United Nations sessions in Bangkok (November 2014) and New York (October 2015).