World News

Femicide laws spread around world

Posted by: The Conversation Global highlights

Date: Tuesday, 14 May 2024

Plus: vaccines save 154m lives in 50 years – charts ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Croatia recently became the latest in a string of countries to add femicide to its statute books, making it a dedicated offence to kill a woman or girl because of her gender.

Such laws are clearly needed when you consider that, across the world, an average of five women or girls are killed every hour by a member of their own family. Cyprus has taken similar action to Croatia and in Costa Rica, an existing law was extended to enable the conviction of people who kill women outside their family or personal relationships. This recognises that gendered violence is often a weapon of war and oppression.

Criminologist Madhumita Pandey examines what makes laws of this kind successful – but also where they fall short.

Laura Hood

Senior Politics Editor, London

A protester in Athens at a rally against femicide. EPA/Orestis Panagiotou

Femicide: many countries around the world are making the killing of women a specific crime – here’s why that is needed

Madhumita Pandey, Sheffield Hallam University

Croatia has become the latest in a string of nations to make killing women because of their gender a specific offence.

CDC/Pexels, State Library of NSW

154 million lives saved in 50 years: 5 charts on the global success of vaccines

Meru Sheel, University of Sydney; Alexandra Hogan, UNSW Sydney

The chance of living one more year is up to 44% more likely thanks to the past 50 years of vaccines, according to new research. But global drops in vaccine coverage pose a risk.

Anti-war movements can yield much positive coalition building towards peace, but can also trigger backlash. Protesters gather in an encampment set up on the University of Toronto campus in Toronto on May 2, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

University campuses should be places of peacemaking, not venues for proxy wars

Kawser Ahmed, University of Winnipeg

Communication about conflict is the fundamental starting point for future action. In modeling non-violent communication, university leaders can proactively counter potential extremism.

 
 
 
 

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