Status difference appears to play significant role in femicide
Femicide is a serious issue in the Netherlands: around 40 women are murdered each year. Yet the circumstances surrounding these deaths are not recorded. To change that, Marieke Liem, Professor of Security and Interventions, launched the Femicide Monitor. ‘To develop effective interventions, we need to understand what’s really happening.’
The media often portrays femicide as the result of a jealous man who, unable to cope with a breakup, murders his ex-partner in an ‘act of desperation’, often after a period of stalking. But the reality is more complex, according to the initial findings of the Femicide Monitor. ‘It appears that a change in status is more likely to play a significant role’, says Marieke Liem. ‘For example, a man who loses his job and feels his masculinity is threatened as roles shift.’
Although only a small number of cases correspond with the media representation of femicide, they still deserve attention. ‘But focusing solely on cases involving prior physical violence can be dangerous’, Liem warns. ‘If policy is only developed in response to those cases, we only achieve limited results. Not just jealousy but status changes, mental health issues and substance use can also be contributing factors. And we mustn’t overlook that women are also murdered by their sons, sisters or mothers – or during robberies. These situations require other interventions. That’s why it’s so important to analyse the context of femicide.’
Crowdfunding for research
Although Statistics Netherlands tracks the number of women murdered annually, it does not record the circumstances. Frustrated by this, Leim initiated the Femicide Monitor. However, institutional funding was slow or non-existent, so Liem launched a crowdfunding campaign with the LUF.
The campaign has been a success: by April 2025, three-quarters of the target amount had been raised. ‘I’m incredibly grateful that so many people have donated. Thanks to their support, we’ve been able to hire several researchers’, she says.
So far, the team has mapped all femicides between 2014 and 2024. ‘The initial findings provide insight into the numbers, types of murder, relationships between victims and perpetrators and their ages,’ says Liem. ‘We now want to look at other factors, including ones often overlooked by the police and judiciary, including relationship break-ups, the presence of children or stepchildren, previous suicide threats, debt and so on. We will also talk to family and friends to learn about events before the murder: what warning signs were there?’
Named fund contribution
The creation of the Femicide Monitor was made possible not only by the crowdfunding campaign but also thanks to the support of one of LUF's named funds: the Han-Crebolder Fund. Professor Liem and her team are very grateful to the donors – Mr W.L. Han and Ms H.S.C. Crebolder – for their generous contribution and the trust they placed in their work.
Gender equality: a double-edged sword
Although femicide seems to be receiving more public and media attention, the number of cases has actually decreased since the 1990s. ‘Greater gender equality has helped women become more financially independent and better able to end a dangerous relationship,’ says Liem. ‘However, this gender equality can provoke men to use violence because they want to maintain the status difference. The number of femicides has not continued to decrease. In that light, conservative influencers who promote traditional gender roles are something to keep an eye on.’
This article previously appeared in the LUF magazine.