The history of femicide is not merely a collection of isolated crimes; it is the physical manifestation of a global structural hierarchy. While the first part of this history often focuses on the ancestral origins and the "normalization" of violence through legal and religious codes, this second part examines the modern evolution of these practices and the global resistance rising against them. 1. The Industrialization of Gender-Based Violence
Despite modern legal frameworks, the concept of "honor" remains a lethal justification for femicide in various cultures. This "moral" policing of women’s bodies—regulating their movements, clothing, and reproductive choices—often occurs with the silent or explicit consent of the state. When the law fails to categorize the killing of a woman as a specific crime of femicide , or when it offers leniency for "crimes of passion," the state becomes an accomplice, reinforcing the idea that female life is subordinate to male reputation. 3. Technology: The New Frontier of Misogyny Tuer les femmes : une histoire mondiale (2/2)
In the modern era, the nature of violence against women has shifted from private domesticity to the public and systemic sphere. In many parts of the world, "gendercide" has become a tool of war and economic displacement. From the systematic use of sexual violence as a weapon of ethnic cleansing to the disappearance of women in industrial hubs—like the infamous cases in Ciudad Juárez—violence is often tied to the devaluation of female life in a globalized economy. Here, women are frequently treated as "disposable" bodies in the machinery of capital and conflict. 2. The Persistence of "Honor" and State Complicity The history of femicide is not merely a
"Tuer les femmes" is a history of a global pandemic of power. To understand its second half is to recognize that while the methods of violence have modernized, the underlying logic remains the same: the maintenance of patriarchy through the ultimate act of erasure. However, through global solidarity and legal reform, the narrative is shifting. The history of femicide is no longer just a history of death—it is becoming a history of the struggle for the right to exist. originating in Latin America
The digital age has introduced a paradox: while it provides a platform for advocacy, it has also "democratized" harassment and incitement to violence. The rise of extremist "incel" subcultures and the digital surveillance of women represent new methods of control. This technological dimension shows that femicide is not a "relic of the past" but a contemporary phenomenon that adapts to new social structures, using algorithms and anonymity to silence and endanger women. 4. The Global "Ni Una Menos": A Turn in the Tide
The history of killing women is now being met with an equally powerful history of resistance. The "Ni Una Menos" (Not One Less) movement, originating in Latin America, has sparked a global reckoning. By demanding that the state recognize femicide as a distinct legal category, activists are stripping away the "privacy" of domestic murder and exposing it as a political issue. This shift from victimhood to political agency marks a crucial turning point: the refusal to let these deaths remain invisible or "natural." Conclusion