It’s been about half a century since feminists introduced the idea of ​​femicide. It is, as activist and academic Diana Russell, who was instrumental in its development, wrote, “a term that specifically refers to and politicizes the sexist, patriarchal, misogynistic killing of women and girls by men.” It wasn’t just about identifying a problem: it was about asking people to recognize it and act on it.

The concept was quickly taken up by activists around the world. Although men are the most common victims of murder, women are far more likely to be killed by men than by other women. They are most commonly killed by current or former partners, often following ongoing domestic violence or coercive control. As of this week, at least 50 women have been allegedly killed by men in the UK alone this year.

This horrifying figure comes from the Guardian’s Killed women count project. This year we aim to report on every case in which a man has been charged over a death, drawing on the work of campaigns such as Counting Dead Women, Femicide Census and Killed Women. Keotshepile Naso Isaacs, 33, described by friends as a “beautiful soul”, was found dead in North Berwick on New Year’s Day. Every month the number of victims increases. The count does not include girls under 16 and some cases that made headlines may not have resulted in charges, or have not yet done so. Criminologist Jane Monckton Smith has also suggested that a significant number of killings are not even investigated as murder cases.

Chitsidzo Chinyanga, Sam Varley, Kanticha Sukpengpanao, Olivia Wood, Pauline Sweeney – for their families and friends, the loss must be immeasurable. But most of these names are unknown to the general public, and in many cases their deaths have barely been noticed outside their families and communities. Their lives span the entire country and society. Lauren Evans was only 22; Emma Finch 96. Each case is different. But together, the individual stories create a deep and profound tragedy.

Information from cases that led to murder convictions reveals patterns. In far too many cases of femicide, the victims or their relatives had already warned the police that they were in danger. A striking number of victims of abuse or stalking had reported to their tormentors before their death that they had violated protection orders.

While some police forces have made progress in dealing with domestic violence, others are falling far short of expectations. Some victims report officers being dismissive. Systems that look good on paper often do not work in practice, meaning that repeated reports of abuse or harassment are not properly recorded. Civil society groups working to protect women need long-term and ongoing funding. Tackling misogynistic attitudes requires, among other things, more consistent application of the healthy relationships curriculum in education and tackling online spaces that attract boys and poison their attitudes towards girls and women.

In recent years, on average, a woman has been killed by a man every three days in the UK. But ubiquity should not be confused with inevitability. The fact that these crimes continue to occur reflects not only their deep social and cultural roots, but also a failure to pay sufficient attention to them and to tackle them more vigorously. When we recognise the scale of the problem, we can also recognise the scale of the loss. This recognition must now lead to further action.