Peer-reviewed article
Femicide in Ethiopia: an autopsy-based cross-sectional study.
Lema AS, Suleyman JS, Jonnalagadda KK, Sekar SKR ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined 62 femicide cases (homicides of women and girls aged 15+) referred for autopsy at a hospital in Ethiopia over one year. About half were committed by intimate partners, with quarrels and jealousy being common motives. Most victims were killed at night in their homes using blunt force or sharp weapons. The study documents that femicide is a significant public health problem linked to prior intimate partner violence.
Key points
- 53.2% of femicides were committed by intimate partners, mostly current partners (87.9%)
- Victims averaged 33.4 years old; perpetrators averaged 30.5 years
- Quarrels/disputes (46.8%) and jealousy (13%) were most common motives
- 64.5% occurred at night, 72.6% in private residences
- 39.4% of cases had documented prior intimate partner violence
Limitations
This study documents femicide cases that came to autopsy at one hospital, so does not represent all femicides in Ethiopia or this hospital's catchment area. The data cannot tell us about prevention strategies or the effectiveness of any interventions to reduce femicide.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Femicide, the most extreme form of gender-based violence directed at women and girls, often lacks sufficient national statistical data in several countries. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Global Study on Homicide reported that Ethiopian data were unavailable. Moreover, there is no published evidence regarding femicide cases. To address this gap, this study investigated femicide victims referred for medicolegal autopsies at St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College (SPHMMC) in Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate all femicide cases (aged ≥ 15 years) that were observed over the course of one year, from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021, at SPHMMC. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics. Associations between categorical variables were assessed with the chi-square or Fisher’s exact test, and independent t-tests were used to compare means between groups. Statistical significance was determined as p < 0.05. RESULTS: There were 62 femicide cases, representing 10.7% of all female cases and 2.0% of all medicolegal deaths. Of the 62 femicide cases, 53.2% were classified as intimate femicide, with 87.9% involving current partners and 12.1% involving former partners. The remaining 46.8% were classified as non-intimate partner femicide. The average age of the victims was 33.4 years, with half between 21 and 30 years. Perpetrators averaged 30.5 years old, with the majority falling within the 31–40 age range. Quarrels and disputes (46.8%) were the most often cited motive, followed by jealousy (13%). Most femicides occurred at night (64.5%) within private residences (72.6%). A history of prior intimate partner violence was recorded in 39.4% of cases. Blunt trauma (50%) and sharp injuries (29%) were the most common mechanisms of injury. CONCLUSION: Femicide in Ethiopia is a significant public health and human rights concern, with a high proportion linked to intimate partner violence. The predominance of documented prior abuse, blunt trauma, domestic settings, and nighttime homicides reflects both the private nature of violence and systemic barriers to prevention. Integrating robust risk-assessment and early-warning mechanisms within healthcare, justice, and community structures is essential for identifying women at imminent risk and averting escalation to femicide.