Femicide Crisis: 80 Women Killed in Nigeria Between January and June 2025 – DOHS Cares Foundation Reveals
By Raheem Ibrahim
An international non-governmental organization, DOHS Cares Foundation, has revealed that over 80 women were killed in Nigeria between January and June 2025—a grim statistic that underscores the country’s deepening femicide crisis.
The foundation, through its Femicide Research Hub, noted that the deaths amount to one woman killed every 49 hours. It described the situation as a national emergency that requires urgent institutional and societal intervention.
“These are not just statistics. These were mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers, professionals, students—women who had full lives and bright futures,” said Ololade Ajayi, Founder of DOHS Cares Foundation.
According to her, “Every week, three to four women are violently erased from our society. This is not a crisis we can afford to normalize or ignore, despite Nigeria’s constitutional guarantees and existing laws such as the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015. Impunity remains entrenched. Many cases are never fully investigated. Victims are often blamed, survivors silenced, and perpetrators frequently escape justice.”
Ajayi called on the National Assembly to immediately introduce and debate the Femicide Bill drafted by the foundation. She also urged government agencies to begin tracking femicide as a distinct crime and to establish a national register to record and monitor such cases.
She emphasized that law enforcement and the judiciary must ensure swift investigations and timely prosecution of offenders.
Beyond legal reforms, Ajayi stressed the need for a cultural shift and called on community and religious leaders to condemn social norms that devalue women’s lives.
“We will not stay silent. We will mourn, but we will also mobilize, organize, and demand action,” she said. “Nigerian women deserve to live, to be safe, and to be heard.”
The foundation has launched a public campaign tagged #NoDeyKpaiWoman, aimed at mobilizing support for femicide prevention, survivor protection, and comprehensive legal reform.
