Amina Mohammed reveals that half of women murdered worldwide are killed by their partners

NIGERIAN-born United Nations (UN) deputy secretary-general Amina Mohammed has unveiled shocking statistics revealing that about half of women that are murdered globally are killed by either a spouse or an ex-partner.

Speaking in Brussels at the launch of a new partnership between the UN and the European Union, called the European Development Days, Ms Mohammed said the gathering was an essential tool to make violence against women and girls a thing of the past. She added that the joint spotlight initiative was a key element for making Global Goal Five on women’s empowerment, of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, a reality.

Ms Mohammed said: "In some countries, the spotlight will focus on the most extreme form of violence known as femicide.  Often, in the wake of these murders, we find that women have indeed reported to the police, or sought medical care but service providers did not have adequate information or the means to identify the risk."

She added that some of the violence took place due to the broader insecurity that women faced, particularly where they were advocating for women’s rights. In her speech, Ms Mohammed painted a picture of women not fully included in decision-making and being subjected to a global pandemic of violence against women and girls.

“Attacks and discrimination are deeply embedded in social norms, attitudes and practices. Addressing these mindsets will require significant investments of time, resources and political will.”

“Without equality and empowerment, we will simply perpetuate today’s paradigm, trying to address all the world’s challenges with only half the world’s assets. Yet a stark reality prevails - more women than men live in extreme poverty," Ms Mohammed added.

She cited the World Bank in detailing how women’s equal participation in the labour force had the potential to unlock $160trn for sustainable development reinvestment. According to Ms Mohammed, the worldwide pay gap stands at 23% and gender roles have been too slow to change.

Ms Mohammed also underscored the UN’s commitment to lead by example by empowering women within the organisation itself. She said the UN was working towards, for the first time in its history, full gender parity in the Senior Management Group and among those nominated to be its Resident Coordinators.