Did you know that Women’s Aid has been recording violent deaths of women in the Republic of Ireland since 1996?
According to the Women’s Aid Femicide Watch 1996-2026 report, 278 women have died violently in Ireland over the past three decades, with one in every two victims killed by a current or former intimate partner.
The report also reveals that 87% of the women killed knew their attacker, and 63% were killed in their own homes, spaces where safety should be guaranteed. These numbers challenge the common assumption that violence against women is mostly committed by strangers in public spaces. In reality, it often happens behind closed doors.
As the world prepares to mark International Women’s Day every 8 March, the day is widely celebrated for recognising women’s achievements and advocating for gender equality. But the statistics on femicide serve as a sobering reminder that for many women, safety and security remain unresolved issues.
In 2025, seven women were killed in Ireland, according to reports tracking gender-based violence. Each death represents more than a statistic, it represents a life lost to violence, often after a pattern of abuse.
For years, campaigners have called for stronger protections and greater societal awareness. In response to these concerns, the Irish government introduced the Zero Tolerance Strategy for Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in 2022.
The strategy, developed by the Department of Justice, marked one of the country’s most comprehensive policy responses to gender-based violence.
At the time of its launch, Justice Minister Helen McEntee described the initiative as a commitment to a fundamental principle: that Ireland should have zero tolerance for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.
The strategy recognised that abuse within relationships had too often been dismissed or treated as a private issue. Instead, it framed gender-based violence as a societal problem that requires a coordinated response across government, public services, and communities.
Built on four pillars; Prevention, Protection, Prosecution, and Policy Co-ordination, the five-year plan aims to address both the causes and consequences of domestic and sexual violence.
Its goals include increasing public awareness, strengthening support services for victims, expanding refuge spaces, improving legal responses to perpetrators, and enhancing coordination between government agencies and non-governmental organisations.
A key milestone in the strategy was the creation of a dedicated state agency responsible for addressing domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, which became operational in 2024.
While such policy developments represent progress, advocacy groups stress that meaningful change will depend on how effectively these measures are implemented.
Video below of the Zero Tolerance campaign by the Department of Justice, Ireland, highlighting domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence.
For organisations like Women’s Aid, documenting femicide cases remains an important part of the effort to push for reform. The organisation’s long-running database provides valuable insights into patterns of violence and highlights the urgent need for prevention.
The statistics also challenge lingering myths about gender-based violence. Most victims knew their killers, and many were killed in their own homes, demonstrating that domestic spaces can sometimes be the most dangerous environments for women experiencing abuse.
As International Women’s Day approaches each year, campaigners argue that the day should serve not only as a celebration of women’s achievements but also as a platform to address the challenges that persist.
Gender equality, they say, cannot exist without safety.
While progress has been made through policies such as the Zero Tolerance Strategy, the numbers recorded by Women’s Aid show that violence against women remains a pressing issue in Ireland.
International Women’s Day offers a moment for reflection, a reminder that behind every statistic is a life, and that preventing future tragedies requires sustained commitment from governments, communities, and individuals alike.
Because true equality is not only about opportunity or representation. It is also about ensuring that every woman can live free from violence.
