# Strategies to overcome barriers to the statistical representation of femicide data-a technical note

## TL;DR

This paper explores ways to improve how femicide deaths are recorded in mortality data to better inform health policies and research.

## Contribution

The paper identifies specific barriers to femicide data representation and proposes actionable recommendations for improving data collection and analysis.

## Key findings

- Femicide data is often underrepresented due to inconsistent definitions and poor data collection practices.
- Recommendations include standardized definitions and improved training for professionals involved in death investigations.
- Systemic challenges like coding and data access must be addressed to enhance femicide data representation.

## Abstract

Mortality data systems are upstream determinants of health, providing critical information on causes of death and population health trends and influencing health outcomes by shaping policies, research, and resource allocation. Moreover, the gender-related deaths of women and girls are significantly underrepresented or underrecognized in mortality data across many countries. This paper seeks to identify potential barriers and facilitators to improving the representation of femicide data. The primary barriers affecting data representation of femicide are related to definitions, data collection, coding, comparability, access, and systemic challenges. Key recommendations include establishing a nationwide consensus on the definition of femicide, updating training modules for medicolegal professionals, improving pathology reporting processes, ensuring quality assurance in documentation, refining coding practices, developing new analytic methods, and providing deidentified access to cases still under investigation.