Black Women More Likely to Be Femicide Victims in London

Black women in London are victims of femicide at higher rates than any other demographic, according to newly released data. 

First reported by the BBC, according to new statistics provided by the Metropolitan Police, in 2022, approximately 21 women were victims of femicide, the murder of women on account of gender. Out of these 21 victims, 43%, or nine, were Black women.

In 2023, although the overall rate of femicide declined, the rate for Black women grew with eight out of 13 recorded femicide victims being identified as Black women. Overall, they accounted for about 62% of total victims. 

“Why is the value of Black women’s lives so obsolete? They’re facing a crisis,” said the Southall Black Sisters, an organization dedicated to helping Black women and other BIPOC women who are victims of abuse, per BBC. “We need politicians and the police to step up.”

The latest report comes months after data from the U.S. revealed that Black women are more likely to be victims of homicide across approximately 30 states. 

Released by the medical journal The Lancet in February, the report analyzed statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spanning from 1999 to 2020. 

Identifying homicides as forms of violence including shootings, piercings and cuttings, Black women between the ages of 25 to 44 were found, overall, to be about 20 times more likely than white women to be killed, although data varied from state to state. 

From 2014 and 2022, the rate increased exponentially by approximately 73%. Generally, in 2020, Black women made up 11.6 homicides out of every 100,000 people compared to white women who recorded three homicides per every 100,000 people. 

The gap between both demographics was particularly prominent in the Midwest where Black women were seven times more likely to be homicide victims than white women. 

Previous research from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence found that 45% of Black women are victims of some form of violence or are stalked in their lifetime.

“Structural racism might provide insight as to why Black women, regardless of their ethnicity, face disproportionately high rates of homicide,” the study stated per U.S. News. “Specifically, educational attainment, employment, poverty, residential segregation, and home ownership are well known indicators influencing disproportionately high rates of homicide in areas where Black women largely reside.”

Organizations such as Ujima: The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community, The Safe Sisters Circle and Black Women Revolt are all dedicated to helping Black women who are victims of any form of violence.