For this article, I found a list of names of women who had been killed by men in 2017 in the UK. You can read the list here.
I researched each woman; all of these women’s cases had been reported in the news. I considered compiling all of the killings and murders within this list, with the aim that if all of their deaths were collated in one place it would make an impact. Yet, as I read through the 139 stories, I didn’t want to include how they died. When you research their names, the top results focus on their death, the murder, and the men. These women were murdered by their fathers, sons, uncles, partners, ex-partners, grandchildren, strangers and terrorists. The killings were violent, upsetting and horrendous. Often, the murders’ names, ages, and professions are written before the victim, the woman. Often, there is little information on the women themselves, and only what happened. I have read about every single woman and how they died.
I decided to only include their names and ages if they were a parent, their careers if it was shared. These women are more than these descriptions – they are sisters, daughters, friends, colleagues; they are many qualities and experiences and attributes. What I want to demonstrate is that they are also more, much more than the men who killed them. I wanted one space on the internet where the information about the men or how they died were not included – we should not have to read about the horrific incidents to be outraged, shocked and distressed that 139 women were killed in one year. The media often focus on the way the women died, the funerals and the men who killed them. This list only recognises the women, who they were and that violence against women can happen across ages, ethnicity and social background.
The Women:
Alexander Stuart, known as Alex, 22 years old, post-woman
Alison Howe, 45 years old, mother
Alyson Watt, 52 years old, charity worker
Amandeep Kaur, 35 years old, mother of two girls
Amy Barnes, née Shimell, 32 years old, nursery nurse
Andreea Cristea, 31 years old, architect
Angelika Klis, 39 years old, mother of two
Anita Downey, 51 years old, mother of three
Ann Furneaux, 70 years old, retired auxiliary nurse
Anne Moore-Martin, 83 years old, retired teacher
Anne O’Neill, 51 years old, retired nurse, mother
Anne Searle, 62 years old, mother of three
Anne-Marie James, 33 years old, mother
Arena Saeed, 30 years old, mother of two
Asiyah Harris, 27 years old, mother of two
Avis Addison, also known as Mary, 88 years old, mother, regular churchgoer, retired
Aysha Frade, 44 years old, mother of two, PA at independent sixth form
Beryl Hammond, 81 years old, mother
Beverley Bliss, 52 years old, mother, grandmother, involved in the local arts scene
Beverley Hudson, 42 years old, mother of three
Carolyn Hill, 51 years old, mother, grandmother
Catherine Kelly, 71 years old, mother
Celine Dookhran, 20 years old, worked in a bank
Chloe Miazek, 20 years old, waitress and worked in Tesco
Chloe Rutherford, 17 years old, actress
Chrissy Kendall, 46 years old, mother, nursery manager
Christine Archibald, 30 years old, homeless shelter worker
Concepta Leonard, 51 years old, mother, involved in local music
Courtney Boyle, 19 years old, student at Leeds Beckett University
Demi Pearson, 37 years old, mother of four
Dionne Clark, 27 years old, mother of four
Dzilva Butiene, 48 years old, mother of two
Eilidh MacLeod, 14 years old, student
Elaine McIver, 43 years old, police detective
Elizabeth (Betty) Jordan, 53 years old, mother
Elizabeth Merriman, 39 years old, mother of three
Ella Parker, 29 years old, mother to be (5 months), manager at Co Op
Ellen Higginbottom, 18 years old, psychology student
Emma Day, 33 years old, mother
Eulin Hastings, 74 years old, grandmother of two
Farnaz Ali, 49 years old
Florina Pastina, 36 years old, primary school teacher
Gemma Leeming, 30 years old, mother of two
Georgina Callander, 18 years old, health and social care student
Gillian (Nyasha) Zvomuya (Kahari), 35 years old, ran a care business
Hannah Cohen, 33 years old, ran a cake making business
Hannah Dorans, 21 years old, care support worker
Hazel Wilson-Briant, 27 years old, mother
Humara Khan, 42 years old, mother of three
Ilona Czuper, 62 years old, mother, grandmother
luliana Tudos, 22, barmaid
Jane Hings, 72 years old
Jane Sergeant, 70 years old
Jane Sherratt, 60 years old, former deputy head teacher
Jane (Carolyn) Tweddle, 51 years old, mother of three
Janet Northmore, 76 years old, mother
Janice Griffiths, 59 years old, mother, grandmother
Janine Bowater, 25 years old, mother of two
Jayne Toal Reat, 43 years old, mother
Jean Chapman, 81 years old, mother, grandmother
Jessica King, 23 years old, mother of two
Jillian Grant, 38 years old
Jillian Howell, 46 years old, volunteer with the Samaritans
Joanne Rand, 47 years old, mother of three
Jodie Willsher, 30 years old, mother of one, worked at Aldi
Julie Fox, 51 years old
Julie McCash, 43 years old
Julie Parkin, 39 years old, primary school teacher
Justene Reece, 46 years old
Kanwal/Bernice Williams, 50 years old, mum of two, primary school teacher
Karen Jacquet, 66 years old, foster parent
Karen Young, 47 years old
Karina Batista, 40 years old
Karolina Chwiluk, 20 years old, architecture student at Westminster University
Katherine Smith, 26 years old, mother of one
Katrina Evemy, 19 years old, mother
Kelly Brewster, 32 years old, worked for solicitors and insurance companies
Kerri McAuley, 32 years old, mother of two
Kiran Daudia, 46 years old
Kirsty Boden, 28 years old, nurse
Kirsty (aka Kirby) Noden, 32 years old
Kulwinder Kaur, 40 years old, mother of two
Lea Adri-Soejoko, 80 years
Leah Cohen, 66 years old, mother, owner of Beigal Bake
Leanne Collopy, 25 years old, mother
Leanne McKie, 39 years old, mother, police officer
Leonne Weeks, 16 years old
Linda Parker, 52 years old, mother of four
Lisa Chadderton, 44 years old, mother
Lisa Lees, 43 years old, mother
Lisa-Marie Thorton, 36 years old, mother of three
Louella Fletcher-Michie, 24 years old
Marie Brown, 41 years old, nursery worker
Marjorie Cawdery, 83 years old, mother
Mary Steel, 79 years old, mother
Megan Bills, 17 years old
Megan Hurley, 15 years old, school student
Melanie Clark, 44 years old, mother of two
Michelle Kiss, 45 years old, mother of three
Moira Gilbertson, 57 years old, mother
Molly McLarenm, 23 years old, university student
Monika Lasek, 36 years old
Nasima Noorzai, 29 years old, mother
Natividad Nituan, 70 years old
Nell Jones, 14 years old, school student
Nicola Beck, 52 years old, acupuncturist
Nicola Campbell, 30 years old
Olivia Campbell-Hardy, 15 years old, school student
Olivia Kray, 19 years old
Patricia McIntosh, 56 years old
Pauline Cockburn, 48 years old, mum of three
Quyen Ngoc Nguyen, 28 years old, mother
Rikki Lander, 26 years old, mother of three
Romina Kalaci, 32 years old
Ruby Wilson, 94 years old, mother, grandmother
Sabrina Mullings, 38 years old, mother
Sara Zelenak, 21 years old
Sarah Jeffery, 48 years old
Sarah Pitkin, 58 years old, mother of four
Shaeen Akhtar, 49 years old, mother
Sheila Morgan, 72 years old
Wendy Farwell, 50 years old, mother of three, primary school worker
Vicki Hull, 29 years old, mother
Vera Savage, 89 years old, retired
Vanessa James, 24 years old, mother
Valerie Turner, 62 years old, mother
Tyler Denton, 25 years old
Tracy Kearns, 43 years old, mother of two
Tracey Wilkinson, 50 years old
Tracey Bowen, 52 years old
Tina Billingham, 54 years old, mother
Teresa Wishart, 80 years old, grandmother
Suzanne Brown, 34 years old, mother
Susan Westwood, 68 years old, mother
Susan Fuller, 63 years old, mother
Sorrell Leczkowski, 14 years old, GCSE Student
Tabasim Khan, 37 years old
Sinead Wooding, 26 years old, mother of four
Simone Grainger, 30 years old, mother of two