Female homicides in Brazil: global burden of disease study, 2000–2018

Female homicides are a public health-relevant issue, and its spatial distribution may evidence socioeconomic vulnerabilities. This study aims to analyze the temporal and spatial trends of female homicides in Brazil and investigate socioeconomic-demographic factors associated with it.

Female homicide rates in Brazil remained high during the studied period, with differences in trends between regions. Among the potentially associated factors, it was observed that male homicide rate, the high percentage of violent deaths among black women and those with low levels of education, in addition to the low Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, were positively associated with female homicide, whereas larger cities were negatively associated.

These findings show that Brazil is a country with a high risk of female homicide. Nevertheless, the vulnerability of women is unequally distributed in the country. Female homicides are mostly caused by domestic conflicts but can also be influenced by changes in the urban and social contexts.