Brazil records 10,600 femicides in eight years

Last year, 1,400 women were killed countrywide

Daniel Mello

Published on 08/03/2024 - 12:42

São Paulo

Rio de Janeiro (RJ), 08/03/2023 - Ato denúncia em frente à Câmara Municipal, organizado pelo campanha Levante Feminista contra o Feminicídio, colocarão 210 cruzes nas escadarias do Palácio Pedro Ernesto, simbolizando cada uma das 111 mulheres assassinadas no estado em 2022 e as 99 mulheres assassinadas em 2023. Foto: Tânia Rêgo/Agência Brasil — © Tânia Rêgo/Agência Brasil

From 2015 to 2023, 10,600 women were victims of femicide in Brazil, according to a survey by the Brazilian Public Security Forum (FBSP). Last year, 1,400 women are reported to have been killed.

Femicide is a qualification of the crime of intentional homicide—a murder resulting from violence against women because of their sex, or when contempt for their status as women is demonstrated. The law instituting the provision was passed in March 2015.

Last year, there were 1,46,000 victims of this type of crime in Brazil, which represents a rate of 1.4 deaths for every 100 thousand women. The figure is 1.6 percent higher than in 2022.

Mato Grosso state saw the highest rate of femicides—2.5 deaths for every group of 100 thousand women. In absolute numbers, femicides last year amounted to 46.

São Paulo has the highest absolute number of femicides—221 cases in 2023. The state's rate, however, is lower than the national average, with one death for every group of 100 thousand women. Compared to 2022, there was a 13.3 percent surge in the number of femicides in the state.

The highest rate of increase in femicides was observed in Roraima, which went from three to six in 2023. Last year's rate was 1.9 women per 100 thousand

In the Federal District, there was a 78.9 percent rise in femicides from 2022 to 2023, reaching 34 cases last year. With the increase, the rate reached 2.3 deaths for every 100 thousand women.

In second place for the highest rates of femicide are the states of Acre, Rondônia, and Tocantins, with 2.4 deaths for every 100 thousand women.

In Acre, a growth of 11.1 percent was seen year on year, with ten femicides last year.

In Rondônia, there was a 20.8 percent shrinkage in this type of crime, with 19 cases in 2023. Tocantins saw an increase of 28.6 percent, with 18 deaths last year.