Women This Week: New UN Report Finds Women Most At-Risk of Violence in Their Own Homes

One Woman or Girl Killed Every Ten Minutes by a Family Member or Intimate Partner  

A new report from UN Women demonstrates that the most dangerous place for a woman is in her own home. According to the report, 85,000 women and girls were killed intentionally by men in 2023, with 60 percent of these crimes committed by someone close to the victim. This is the third time that UN Women has published a report highlighting femicides by family members or intimate partners, and the data shows that progress has been mixed. Some regions have shown decreasing rates of violence; femicide rates have dropped steadily in Europe since 2010. However, in regions including Latin America, there has been relatively limited progress in reducing the threats of violence perpetrated by intimate partners or family members. “The new femicide report highlights the urgent need for strong criminal justice systems that hold perpetrators accountable, while ensuring adequate support for survivors, including access to safe and transparent reporting mechanisms,” said Ghada Waly, Executive Director of UNODC. 

Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah Becomes First Female President of Namibia  

Namibia has elected Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as president. Nanda-Ndaitwah will be the country’s first female president and will join Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan as the second female leader currently serving as president on the African continent. With 57.31 percent of the presidential vote, Nandi-Ndaitwah’s incumbent South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO) party defeated several opposition groups. While the election results were initially disputed, the Electoral Commission of Namibia has since validated the results. The president-elect is the current vice president of Namibia. She has served the Namibian government for the past thirty-four years, holding positions including minister of international relations and cooperation, deputy prime minister, minister of environment and tourism, and minister of women affairs and child welfare. Nandi-Ndaitwah emphasized the potential impact of her victory on gender empowerment in the country. “As a woman, I’m the first to admit that my election to the highest office in the land is definitely one that is breaking the glass ceiling for a Namibian woman,” she said.  

Court Finds that Belgian Government Committed Crimes Against Humanity during Colonial Rule. Orders the Payment of Reparations

The Brussels Court of Appeal ruled Monday that five mixed-race women are each entitled to fifty thousand euros in damages from the Belgian government for its role in committing crimes against humanity during colonial rule in Belgian Congo. The women were the daughters of Congolese mothers and European fathers and were taken from their families at a young age by Belgian authorities and sent to schools run by the Catholic church, which were often far from home. The women reported poverty, sexual abuse, and malnourishment during their time in these schools and were left to fare for themselves after colonial rule ended. Thousands of mixed-race children were kidnapped by Belgian authorities starting in the late 19th century, and the practice continued even after colonial rule ended in 1960. Belgium has formally apologized for its family removal policy but has not provided reparations until now. The women hope the case will serve as a precedent for other victims of colonial violence to seek accountability. “The Belgian government took my youth away, and it was something I had to fight for, to explain to the world what happened,” said appellant Monique Bitu Bingi. “I feel so relieved.”