Stop femi(ni)cides!
In this article we talk about violence, killings and murders of feminized people, cis women and trans* women. Please get support if you need it on this topic.
This blog post addresses femi(ni)cides targeting feminized individuals, trans* women, cis women, and girls*. It represents a form of misogyny and hatred towards women. Trans* individuals often experience violence due to their gender identity, particularly trans* women, not only in public spaces but also within their close social circles. Tragically, trans* individuals are also killed or murdered because of their gender identity (=transcides). Transcides deserve comprehensive analysis.¹ As the authors of this text, we, as cis women, do not possess the expertise to write in-depth about this topic and wish to leave the space to trans* individuals as experts on this subject.
We repeatedly see reports of feminized individuals, cis women, and trans* women who have been murdered by their (ex-)partners or cis men from their close circles. In Berlin alone, there have already been 29-32 femicides this year (exact figures are unclear). At the end of August, within just one week, two femicides occurred, and another attempt left the targeted woman severely injured. Both women were killed by their ex-partners, and both leave behind children.²³
In early November, a man in Berlin-Marzahn murdered his partner and their two daughters, aged five and six.⁴
With this post, we want to emphasize the importance of reporting on femi(ni)cides. Naming femi(ni)cides for what they are is essential for understanding this form of violence and addressing the societal changes we must pursue. Patriarchal structures can only be dismantled if we clearly identify these acts and recognize the motives behind the violence.
Additionally, we aim to explain the terms femicide and feminicide, highlighting the differences between the two. Most importantly, however, we seek to break the silence and stand in solidarity—with those affected by gender-based violence, with survivors, and with the loved ones of those who have been killed or murdered.
We see you, and we stand with you! <3
Femi(ni)cides represent the most extreme form of patriarchal violence against feminized individuals, trans* women, cis women, and girls, inherently bearing a gender-specific character. Men kill them because of their gender. Globally, men most frequently murder their (ex-)partners within the context of (ex-)intimate relationships. The period shortly before and after a separation is particularly dangerous. These separation-related killings often reflect the extreme "possessiveness and need for control" of cis male ex-partners.⁵ However, such killings can also originate from the social environment, including family members and other close individuals.
The term femicide was first introduced in a feminist context in 1976 by sociologist Diana E. H. Russell. In 1989, she revisited the term with Jane Caputi following a massacre in Montreal. During this tragedy, a man deliberately targeted and shot 14 women at the Université de Montréal.⁶⁷
Unlike in many Latin American countries, where the term has been used since the 1990s, further developed, and distinctions made between femicidio and feminicidio, the term femi(ni)cide is not legally recognized as a criminal offense in Germany. Police and prosecutors classify it as a homicide or murder. Many cases go unrecorded, suggesting a significant number of unreported incidents.⁸
At this point, we would like to cite a comprehensive but very explicit explanation and contextualization of femi(ni)cides provided by the Netzwerk gegen Feminizide (Network Against Femicides):
"Feminicides serve to subject women and feminized individuals to a logic defined by cis-masculinity. According to this logic, they are devalued and subordinated. Feminicides are committed within a misogynistic societal climate that systematically defines the lives of women and feminized individuals as less valuable. With every feminicidal murder, the existing power structures are reaffirmed—along with the legitimacy to oppress, control, and exploit women and feminized individuals. Feminicides also serve as a warning to other potential victims of such violence. Every time a feminicide occurs, it becomes evident how threatened and unprotected women and feminized individuals are in this society."¹
Note: In this section, we use the term "women" without specifying trans* or cis, as this is a literal citation.
As previously mentioned, there is a distinction between these two terms. Marcela Lagarde, a Mexican anthropologist, coined the term feminicidio (translated as feminicide) to highlight the responsibility and even the inaction of the state.⁶ When state authorities and institutions are directly involved in the killings or murders of trans* women, girls, or cis women—or when they obstruct investigations and prosecutions of such cases—this constitutes feminicides. For example, the targeted killings of female embryos, when state-sanctioned, also fall under this category.¹
Except for Cuba and Haiti, all Latin American countries have legal provisions addressing the killings of women based on their gender, divided into two categories: intimate partner killings (e.g., Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic) and killings of women in the context of unequal power relations between men and women or similar formulations, as seen in Argentina, Brazil, Guatemala, Peru, and others.⁵
This highlights the difference from German legislation. Although Germany ratified the Istanbul Convention in 2018, there is no specific criminal offense focusing on gender-based motives. This reveals that the legislative framework in Latin America is far more advanced, despite the perception of Germany as a progressive leader in gender equality. Turns out, it's not!
There are varying approaches to these two terms. In European countries, femicides is commonly used, but there is also the spelling femi(ni)cides, which at least implies some responsibility of state institutions. Regarding state responsibility and the political nature of this issue, the following point is crucial:
"The use of the term feminicide in Europe, as well as the classification of such crimes in Latin America (as a synonym for femicide), has, however, contributed to weakening the political significance of this term. When cases of feminicide are no longer understood as accusations against the state but rather as gender-based murders of women (that is, as femicide), their specific political meaning is lost."⁶
A strict distinction might not seem simple. In this context, it could be reasonable to use the term femicide when state responsibility can be excluded and feminicide when it cannot. At this point, we would like to pose questions rather than draw definitive conclusions:
Should we speak of feminicides in Germany when feminized individuals, girls*, trans* women, and cis women are killed by their ex-partners because the state fails to provide sufficient protective accommodations and thus does not comply with the Istanbul Convention? Or when a survivor of violence, after moving into a shelter, is forced by the youth welfare office or family court to facilitate contact with their ex-partner so that he can see their shared children—only for him to exploit this moment to murder the ex-partner? Even the mere fact that femi(ni)cides are not recognized as distinct criminal offenses could be seen as a reproduction of patriarchal structures. Additionally, there is no mandatory training for judges in Germany. As mentioned at the beginning of this section, we see the spelling femi(ni)cide as a good compromise, at least to highlight state co-responsibility, particularly regarding the lack of support services provided by public institutions.
We highly recommend reading the article by Patsilí Toledo Vásquez on the Goethe-Institut website, titled Femicide / Femizid / Feminizid: Are We Talking About the Same Thing?
Various civil society organizations have been tracking and counting the number of femi(ni)cides in Germany. This is primarily done through media reports. The Instagram account "Femizide stoppen" currently counts 87 completed femi(ni)cides, while the One Billion Rising Germany network reports 170 in the same period (as of November 21, 2024).⁹ ¹⁰ Until recently, femi(ni)cides occurred every two days, not every three, when an (ex-)partner killed a feminized person, trans* woman, or cis woman.
On November 19, 2024, the BKA (Federal Criminal Police Office) released its report "Gender-Based Crimes Against Women 2023" and included the number of femi(ni)cides: According to the report, 360 women and girls (without specifying whether they were trans* or cis) were killed.¹¹ As you have read above, the previously assumed numbers were significantly lower. This means:
Almost every day, a man kills or murders a girl, a trans* or cis woman, or a feminized person because of their gender.
This number shocks us deeply. Even while writing this text in early November, we assumed a much lower figure. What a sad reason to have to revise it.
We strongly advocate for femi(ni)cide to be officially recognized as a criminal offense and included in statistics by state institutions, such as the BKA—as has now happened for the first time just a few days ago!
"Femicides are often not properly assessed in criminal law because the underlying notions of gender-based inequality are overlooked. Recognizing and prosecuting femicides as such is not only important for the victims and their loved ones, but also a step toward a more gender-just society."⁵
The first question often asked is: "Why doesn't she just leave?"
There are two important points to consider here.
First: Why is the focus placed on the affected person, and why do we not ask, "Why is he violent? Why did he kill her? Why do so many men kill their (ex-)partners?"
Wouldn't these be the more appropriate questions? This narrative offers deep insights into where our society stands in relation to femi(ni)cides and violence against FLINTA*. Victim-blaming continues to prevail, shifting the responsibility to the victim of violence rather than the perpetrator.
Second: There needs to be more education about the dynamics of gender-based violence in intimate relationships. Victims of violence may not be able to leave or may choose not to because of various dependencies. Often, these are financial reasons, such as lacking a personal bank account, having no control over it, or being prohibited from having employment. Additionally, it is frequently children that are used as leverage to exercise power and control. Threats from the perpetrator to take away custody after a separation or even to kill the children and the victim are serious reasons why someone might decide against leaving and continue to endure the violence.
Furthermore, there are structural deficiencies in the support system: Nationwide, there is a shortage of over 14,000 shelter spaces for FLINTA* affected by gender-based violence. If there is no alternative to their own housing, where are victims supposed to go? In addition, there is a lack of housing after staying in a shelter; victims must remain in these accommodations longer because there is simply no perspective for what comes next.¹² ¹³
The dismissal of these incidents as "family drama," "family tragedy," or "relationship crime" is still unfortunately encountered in public reporting, despite the decision made by the DPA in 2019 to stop using such terms.⁸ Here again, the responsibility of the perpetrator is inadequately addressed, and instead, a political issue is treated as a private one.
A comprehensive discussion on femi(ni)cides can be found in the toolkit of the network against femi(ni)cides in the German-speaking region. This resource explicitly addresses actions and possibilities for intervention. It is crucial to understand femi(ni)cides as attacks on all FLINTA* individuals and not to individualize them. The principle remains: The private is political!
In any case, the call to action is clear: Demand action from politics! There is a lack of funding in many areas, and the system has been overloaded for years. Reporting on femi(ni)cides often shows that the victims had already separated, filed reports against their (ex-)partners, and even obtained restraining orders. In the case of Zohra, who was brutally stabbed by her ex-partner on the street in Berlin-Pankow in 2022, there was a shelter space available for her, but not enough room for her six children.¹⁴
Sign petitions, attend round tables, and participate in local demonstrations. Write to your local politicians and ask what they are doing to address gender-based violence. The more the issue is discussed, the more it will come into the focus of public discourse—and step by step, change will occur!
The endless news about violence against women, lesbians, intersex, non-binary, trans, and agender individuals and femi(ni)cides can trigger deep sadness, shock, helplessness, and fear.
There are different ways to cope with such heavy topics. Some people find it easier to express their anger through protests, others talk about the issue in their own circles or share posts about it on social media. Volunteering or making financial donations to NGOs that focus on this issue and/or support affected individuals can also be an important form of coping.
The most important thing: Break the silence. Be shocked. Be angry. Stand in solidarity.
Book recommendations (only in German):
Femi(ni)cide:
Toolkit: https://wirwollenunslebend.wixsite.com/netzwerkggnfeminizid/toolkit-gegen-feminizide
Julia Cruschwitz, Carolin Haentjes „Femizide - Frauenmorde in Deutschland“
Structural violence:
Asha Hedayati "Die stille Gewalt. Wie der Staat Frauen alleinlässt"
Christina Clemm "Akteneinsicht"
Antifeminism:
Christina Clemm "Gegen Frauenhass"
Tips for Instagram accounts to share and read more:
Femizide stoppen! @Femizidestoppen
OneBillionRising.de @onebillionrising_de
Activism:
ZORA @zoradeutschland
³ Rbb (1) Frau in Friedrichsfelde getötet - eine weitere in Reinickendorf verletzt. 31.08.2024
⁶ Vásquez, P. T. (2021). Femicide / Femizid / Feminizid: Sprechen wir über dasselbe? Mai 2021.
⁷ Montreal Gazette. History Through Our Eyes: Dec. 6, 1989, massacre at the Polytechnique. 06.12.2019.
⁸ ZIF (ohne Jahresangabe). Femizide verhindern.
⁹ Instagram: @femizidestoppen
¹⁰ One Billion Rising Deutschland (2024) "Femizid Deutschland 2024 – Wir fordern Ursachenbekämpfung"
¹³ Frauenhauskoordinierung. Correctiv-Recherche belegt Überlastung von Frauenhäusern. 10.03.23