The rise of Black femicide in the United Kingdom

This blog post is cross-posted from the first edition of Black Women* at Edinburgh's Nurtured Magazine.

Ruweyda Ahmed discusses the rise of Black femicide in the United Kingdom, emphasizing the urgent need for higher media coverage, culture-specific policies, and the validation of Black women and girls’ vulnerability. 

Trigger warning: This article discusses murder, gender-based violence, and sexual violence .

Femicide refers to the murder of a woman or girl overtly or covertly because of her gender. This term highlights gender-based violence targeted at females. Femicide has a disproportionate effect on Black women and girls. Black women in the UK are facing a social crisis. In August 2024, The Guardian reported that 50 women have allegedly been murdered by men in the UK so far, one can only assume that this number will continue to escalate. 

The femicide census has released reports from 2019 and 2020, that 238 women were murdered by a man. Fully 29% of those 2020 cases of femicide are still yet to come to trial. Figures obtained by the PA News agency from the Metropolitan Police show that of the 21 femicide victims recorded in 2022, 9 victims were Black women and girls, meaning that 43% of the overall statistic were Black women and girls, despite Black women making up only 14% of the population in London, and roughly 2% of the UK population. This is unsurprising as it is reflected in the socially accepted reality that Black women are significantly marginalised both for their racial minority identity and gender identity.

This upward turn in femicide statistics is spurred on by the rise of incel-dom, rampant misogyny, and safe spaces for these beliefs which have led to a surge in violence against women, a culture of misogyny and more specifically, misogynoir.[1]

We can use existing sociological studies and lived experiences to understand why the murder of women disproportionately affects Black women, the most marginalised women in society.

Perceptions of Black womanhood and girlhood are weaponized. Black girls are often adultified and seen as ‘resilient’. This carries into adulthood and can lead to dismissive attitudes towards suffering and abusive relationships. Despite those who would claim that these beliefs and biases are trivial or anecdotal, this perception of Black femininity which has historically justified the enslavement of Black women, has continued in the present day. These beliefs permeate our institutions, crucially the Police. The lack of urgency of intervention, and the overall lack of emergency attached to femicide will always hurt the Black woman the most. 

Bias is also manifested in the amount of media attention given to Black femicide realities. There is a general underreporting of femicide, specifically in the case of Black women. These societal stereotypes and attitudes towards Black suffering, easily result in a lack of attention, which in turn affects the demand for pressure on the police and initiatives that recognise and relieve the social burden of femicide. 

Another aspect is that sexual violence and anti-racism tend to be dealt with separately. The #MeToo movement, started by a Black woman named Tarana Burke, is aimed at promoting accountability around sexual harassment. However, the movement was monopolised with the attention of Harvey Weinstein’s sexual harassment allegations. The movement empowered survivors to discuss their experiences in the public eye and inspired other global movements. The Black Lives Matter movement advocated for racial justice in the face of systematic racism and violence against Black people. Both of these movements had a tremendous social impact, changing the culture of institutions and the thought process of people. However, there seems to be a disconnect to how systematic anti-Black racism results in increased sexual and gender-based violence toward Black women and girls. These ideas need to be married to gain a comprehensive understanding of the recent rise in femicide for women of ethnic minority grouping. It is unproductive and non-specific to discuss femicide with no acknowledgement of the disproportionate violence Black women faced while being more likely to be ignored. 

This article aims to ignite a fundamental discussion around the nuances of the Black female experiences in the United Kingdom, highlight the femicide rates, and begin a conversation around why our reality is what it is. This is a starting point in acknowledging the social emergency Black women face in the UK. There needs to be more pressure for higher media coverage, culture-specific policies, and the validation of Black women and girls’ vulnerability. 

[1] hatred of, aversion to, or prejudice against Black women