Bielefeld. The group “Stop Femicide – Bielefeld” has set itself the task of raising awareness among the population and raising awareness of the murder of women because they are women, the so-called femicide. The activists are not only demanding social awareness, but also greater political and legal awareness of the issue. One day before International Women’s Day, the Bielefeld local group of the nationwide movement will set an example on Niederwall.
In most cases, women are not killed due to accidental circumstances; according to statistics, in 99 percent of cases, the perpetrators are men. The activists speak of the ultimate level of gender-based violence, the intentional killing of women.
In their statement it says: “The reasons for this can be gender-related ideas of inequality or the non-conformity of sexist role and behavior expectations. A self-determined life that is beyond the control of the perpetrator can also be a motive.” In Germany, the perpetrators usually come from close friends or are current or former partners. “This also includes so-called ‘honor killings’.”
Activists are calling on politicians and the judiciary to take action against this
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The term “femicide” has become established in criminal research for this form of lethal violence, but the focus in Germany on these perpetrators and their motivation is still not enough, say the activists from “Stop Femicides”: “We want femicides to no longer be dismissed as isolated cases, but for political and legal action to be taken against the system behind them.”
On the subject: Wife killed: Victim bled to death after multiple stabs and cuts
The term such as honor killing, which is still used in public, must be questioned: it suggests that a woman’s misconduct violated the perpetrator’s honor in such a way that he was incited to commit murder or had no other choice. The term thus takes over the perpetrators’ argument.
A femicide is not a family drama!
“The same applies to terms such as ‘family drama’, ‘relationship crime’ or ‘tragedy’,” the group said in a statement. These terms implied that a disaster had occurred within the family or relationship. Such terms assume responsibility for both sides of the crime and prevent the facts from being stated: the man killed or murdered the woman.
Also worth reading: Bielefeld justice system: Why cases of abuse so often end in an acquittal
“Stop femicide – Bielefeld” will take place in Bielefeld city center on Saturday, March 7th, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. to make the issue more visible to the population. To do this, the activists will set up large wooden crosses on the Niederwall green area between Körnerstrasse and Stadtwache 98 to commemorate the women and girls who became victims of gender-specific killings in 2025. On each of the crosses you can read how the crime happened.
There was a similar femicide campaign in December:
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According to the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), a femicide will occur almost every day in Germany in 2023, and the trend is rising. At the end of 2025, BKA President Holger Münch reported: “The number of crimes against women is continuously increasing.”
Nevertheless, due to a lack of a “national definition”, no statistical recording of femicides is possible to date. This emerges from a press release from the Federal Ministry of the Interior. Unlike in Italy or Spain, such an analysis of the phenomenon and the background to the crimes is hardly possible.
FLINTA people also affected
The activists emphasize that this is not just about partner violence and power among heterosexuals. Cis women, trans women and inter-sexual and non-binary people are also affected by patriarchal behavior by perpetrators – through harassment, threats or physical violence. FLINTA people (women, lesbian, intersex, non-binary, trans and agender people) are more likely to experience gender-based violence, according to Stop Femicide.
