Femicide in borderline Brazilian municipalities

Abstract

This quantitative study analyzed female deaths due to agression in the 122 municipalities that are part of the Brazilian borderline. Borders are territories of conquest, conflict and violence and Brazilian border cities have high rates of male and female homicides. This study aimed to quantify female deaths from agression in border towns and identify factors associated with these deaths. Female deaths from agression are considered an indirect indicator of femicides and were the outcome of a multivariate analysis using the Poisson model. In the 2000-2015 period, 1,384 women died from agression, which represent a mean rate of 5.8/100,000 women; of these, 181 were in indigenous women (13%). We observed the pattern of distribution of these deaths, which occurred predominantly in the Central Arch, larger municipalities, and where there are more migrants. There is heterogeneity in the rates of violence in the municipalities that are part of the borderline, indicating a close look at the most populous places, with a high presence of migration and female deaths due to agression. However, we should also pay attention to the small municipalities where there has been a change in pattern, with an abrupt increase in the number of female murders.

Key words:
Feminicides; Borders; Violence; Women violence