Statement by UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem on the murder of Rebecca Cheptegei

UNFPA strongly condemns the violent murder of Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei by her ex-partner. We mourn her passing and extend condolences to her family and loved ones.

Rebecca’s death brings into focus the scourge of violence that women around the world are subjected to, often from those they should trust most.

More than half of all femicides are committed by intimate partners or other family members. A woman is killed by someone in her own family every 11 minutes, according to 2023 global estimates on femicide, though real incidence rates are likely to be far higher. Globally, despite a drop in the overall number of homicides, incidents of femicide are the highest on record, with 89,000 women and girls intentionally killed in 2022.

One of the most prevalent human rights violations in the world, gender-based violence knows no social, economic or national boundaries. It undermines the health, dignity, security and autonomy of survivors. And it remains shrouded in silence, supported by cultural beliefs and values that sustain, justify or dismiss it as an ordinary part of relationships.

Global action is urgently needed to protect women and girls from this violence. They need peace in their homes and in their communities. Governments need to provide better support for survivors, by ensuring accessible shelters, health services and robust legal frameworks to hold perpetrators to account. We need to see far more consistent data gathering to measure the scale of the problem.

It’s time for men and boys to step up, to defy the destructive stereotypes that normalize violence, and take action to end it. We need to address the root causes of violence, including harmful cultural norms and the sense of entitlement over women’s bodies that drives these murders in the first place.