The Guardian view on femicide: why we count the women who die

At least 50 women in the UK have allegedly been killed by men so far this year. This violence must be acknowledged - and acted upon

It is around half a century since the idea of femicide was introduced by feminists. It is, wrote the activist and scholar Diana Russell, who was key in its development, a term that specifically points to and politicises the sexist, patriarchal, misogynistic killing of women and girls by men". The point was not merely to identify a problem: it was to challenge people to recognise and act upon it.

The concept was rapidly taken up by campaigners globally. Although men are the most common victims of homicide, women are far more likely to be killed by men than by other women. Most frequently they are killed by current or former partners, often after sustained domestic abuse or coercive control. As of this week, in the UK alone, at least 50 women have allegedly been killed by men this year.