Violent deaths of women increase in 2023

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is commemorated every November 25 to highlight the urgency of eradicating gender violence in all its forms. The date was established by the UN General Assembly in 1999 in honor of November 25, 1960, the day the Mirabal sisters, political activists in the Dominican Republic, were brutally murdered for opposing the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo.

November 25 is not just any day, the date represents an opportunity to raise global awareness about the violence suffered by women in all latitudes of the world and in all its forms: be it physical, sexual, psychological, or economic.

In Panama, until October, 12 femicides, 23 violent deaths, and 4 attempted femicides were reported, according to data from the Public Ministry; and complaints of domestic violence continue to increase, 2021 17,422 were reported; in 2022 there were 17,659; and so far in 2023, 19,696 complaints have been received.

According to UN data, approximately one in three women has suffered physical or sexual violence, mostly by an intimate or romantic partner. It is estimated that globally, 736 million women have been victims of physical and/or sexual violence at least once in their lives.