Spike in Femicide Rates During the Pandemic Report

Mediterranean Institute for Investigative Reporting (MIIR)

Executive Summary

This article was written by the Mediterranean Institute for Investigative Reporting (MIIR) in collaboration with the European Data Journalism Network. It discusses the rise in femicide rates during the COVID-19 pandemic. The article discusses the rise in a wide range of European countries, with a focus on Greece and its concerning 187.5% increase in femicide from 2020-2021. The lack of law enforcement negligence is discussed as an ongoing issue with femicide research.

Author(s)

Janine Louloudi
Nikos Morfonios
Kastas Zafeiropoulos

Findings

The MIIR analyzed gender-based violence over the duration of the pandemic, and created a database to track the amount of violence women are facing. EIGE data sources and Eurostat databases are used as primary sources. Between the 20 countries analyzed in this database, there is an estimated 3232 total femicides between 2010 and 2021. The Eurostat reported 6593 total homicides, showing a lack of reporting. 

Femicide numbers in Greece increased rapidly by 187.5% between 2020 and 2021. Sweden had a 120% increase in number of femicides between 2017 and 2018. Eurostat databases report a 156% increase in femicides between 2020 and 2021, and a 100% increase in Slovenia during the pandemic. Other countries such as Austria, Croatia, and Hungary experiences increases of 28.6%, 55.6%, and 26.1%. It is clear by the databases that the pandemic did play a role in increasing the number of femicides. 

 

 


 

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