As a star of Uganda’s long-distance running scene, Rebecca Cheptegei competed this summer in the Paris Olympics, finishing the marathon in 44th place. Less than a month after the closing ceremonies, Cheptegei made headlines again in September, not for her incredible athleticism, but because her ex-boyfriend had doused her in gasoline and set her on fire following a property dispute. Cheptegei, who suffered burns to 80 percent of her body, died from her injuries just a few days later.
Her murder has sparked renewed conversation about femicide, defined as “the intentional killing of women and girls because of their gender,” and how best to counter it. The effort to give a name to the mortal threats that women face simply because they are women is admirable. But the way in which the term “femicide” is currently used can do more harm than good, as it is imprecise and can distance analysts and policymakers from engaging with the most prevalent threats to women’s lives.
Focusing more on the specific conditions and relationships that make women vulnerable to murder, rather than trying to understand whether the perpetrator’s motivations render a murder a femicide, can provide a clearer path toward reducing the number of women who, like Cheptegei, have their lives cut short by lethal violence.