By: Nyima Sillah
Angela Muruli, the Programme Coordinator for UN Women’s West and Central Africa Regional Office, emphasized the gravity of the UN’s recent report, revealing that every ten minutes, a woman or girl is killed.
In an exclusive interview with The Voice in Dakar, Muruliasserted that these numbers are not “just figures.”
“This is real life,” she stated. “If such deaths are occurring every 10 minutes, it highlights the urgency of the situation and the speed at which we are losing women and girls.”
She lamented that many cases of violence against women are unreported, either due to the fear of not being taken seriously or because survivors’ families lack confidence that the authorities will respond adequately.
She stressed the need for stronger legal frameworks to ensure that violations of women’s and girls’ rights are met with serious consequences.
“There must be accountability and perpetrators should face the full force of the law,” she re-emphasized.
Muruli called for greater involvement from men and boys in the fight against violence as, according to her, most of these crimes are committed by men against women.
“We must act now, break the silence, believe survivors, and take immediate action to prevent further violence,” she urged.
Describing the figures as both alarming and shocking, Murulipointed out that they reflect a failure by the global community to address the widespread violence against women and girls. “This indicates a culture of impunity, where perpetrators can kill women and girls without facing punishment,” she said as she condemned the lack of accountability in many cases.
Muruli further explained that the continuum of violence often begins with verbal abuse and emotional violence, which can escalate into physical harm or even death. She emphasized the need for urgent action to stop perpetrators, ensure they are punished, and provide survivors with the justice they deserve.
She called for a collective effort to advocate for change, urging people to not remain bystanders in the face of such violence.