More women than men likely to be harmed by their domestic partner: study

Also, nearly two-thirds of perpetrators were currently or had previously been in an intimate relationship with the victim, with husbands then boyfriends being the biggest culprits. In only about 15% of cases, the woman was killed by a complete stranger.

“In most cases, the murder of a woman was committed due to a family quarrel. The reason for aggression on the part of a man towards a woman can be anything – any domestic issues or attempts by women to walk away from relationships.

“At the same time, men justify their actions by saying that they could not restrain themselves or were angry because the woman, in their opinion, did something wrong,” says the data.

Africa Data Hub says that the data, which was published on Tuesday January 23, 2024, is a computation of data compiled over a period of seven years. It examined and compiled over 500 cases spanning between January 2016 and December 2023.

The report comes in the midst of the increasing cases of violence against women in the country, sometimes leading to the death of some of the victims.

Just two days ago, police in Nairobi began an investigation into the suspected murder of two women separately killed in the city in what the authorities believed were suspected cases of domestic violence.

The first incident happened when a 24-year-old woman died in hospital after a domestic fight with a man said to be her boyfriend. The incident occured in Nairobi’s Githurai 44 on Saturday, January 20 night. A report filed by the police identified the woman as Grace Wangari.

Elsewhere in Kiambiu slums in Nairobi, a 40-year-old woman was stabbed to death by her husband in a domestic fight. The body of Mercy Atieno was found in her house long after the incident had happened in January.

And still in Nairobi, two Nigerians accused of killing and dismembering the 20-year old Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology student Rita Waeni were also arrainged and charged in court over the incident.

The Africa Data Hub also shows that family set-ups have increasingly become unsafe spaces for women, with about 80% cases of homicides taking place within the confines of a home.

“In this context, home refers to a shared space between the victim and the perpetrator, which could involve couples cohabiting or situations where either the victim or the suspect frequents the residence,” the data shows.

“Our analysis shows that most often than not, the murders of women are often preceded by domestic violence. Many of the murdered women were systematically abused by their husbands and partners,” it added.

Equally, the counties of Nairobi, Kiambu, and Nakuru have reported the highest incidences of femicide-related killings.

The report however notes that it is crucial to note that due to data limitations and uneven news coverage across the country, this doesn’t necessarily indicate that they have the highest overall murder rates.

“Some counties either underreport murder cases or omit details about the circumstances, making it challenging to determine if the incidents qualify as femicide.

“Additionally, certain areas lack news correspondents or media bureaus, resulting in limited local coverage that may not reach the national level. This underscores the complexity of obtaining a comprehensive understanding of femicide trends nationwide,” the data shows.