Women’s Aid, an Irish NGO that helps women and their children affected by domestic violence, recently launched its Femicide Watch 2017 report.

Published ahead of the International Day Opposing Violence against Women on 25 November, the report highlights eight women who died violently at the hands of men in Ireland this year. Six of these women were murdered in their own homes.

The report also states that 216 women and 16 children have been killed by men since Women’s Aid Femicide Project began 21 years ago. More than half of the killers were well known to the women as partners or former partners.

While separation is usually seen as a safety net for women suffering domestic abuse, the report underlines that it “doesn’t always mean safety for women and children. It can be a time of high risk for women experiencing domestic violence, with 24 percent of women being killed by a former partner.”

Women’s Aid does not record femicide (the killing of women by men) by nationality or ethnicity, but it is understood at least one of those murdered this year was an immigrant. There have also been media reports of one of the perpetrators belonging to the immigrant community. Irrespective of the nationalities of those involved, there is absolutely no justification for femicide.

Metro Éireann believes that the Government needs to do much more to prevent the unlawful killing of women and children – and that includes creating more awareness of, as well as improve response to, domestic violence.

As Women’s Aid director Margaret Martin said: “We know where women are killed. We know how women are killed and by whom. It is time to act. Femicide by an intimate partner must not be accepted as a fact of life for women. Women should be safe in their homes and in their relationships. And we must recognise the strong connection between the killing of women and domestic violence.”

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