Feminicides on Ecuador's coast reconfigure amid advancing criminality

Feminicides along Ecuador's coast are undergoing a significant transformation, marked by a heightened reliance on firearms and a shift in the typical locations where these crimes occur. These changes are closely intertwined with the expanding reach of criminal violence in the country's most volatile provinces.

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In the coast, feminicidal violence has been transformed, and these changes are related to a strong assembly between patriarchal violences and criminal systems.

This evolution in extreme gender-based violence is a key finding from a study by the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (Flacso) in Ecuador. The research, which analyzed feminicides between 2020 and 2025 in coastal regions, highlights a disturbing "assembly" between patriarchal violence and criminal systems. Ailynn Torres, a professor and researcher at Flacso, noted a "significant escalation of feminicides within criminal systems" during this period.

Data from the Feminist Alliance for the Mapping of Femi(ni)cides in Ecuador, cited by Flacso, reveals the extent of this connection. In 2025 alone, 67.9% of feminicides recorded in the seven coastal provinces were linked to criminal activities, such as territorial disputes or involvement with armed groups. This indicates a stark departure from previous trends where such violence might have been more isolated from organized crime.

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there is a significant escalation of feminicides in criminal systems.

The study further details how feminicides are being reconfigured through an increased use of firearms, surpassing traditional bladed weapons. The age range of victims has also broadened, with a "rapid growth" in cases involving girls, adolescents, and older women. Torres explained this isn't just a "juvenilization of lethal feminicidal violence" but also an expansion to older women, who may be mothers of individuals involved in criminal systems, community leaders, or caregivers.

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we are seeing an escalation in the use of firearms that quickly surpassed bladed weapons, which were the type of weapons usually used in feminicides.

Furthermore, the spaces where these murders occur are diversifying. While public spaces are still affected, the research points to an increasing number of feminicides, particularly those linked to criminal systems, happening within the home. This contrasts with patterns observed in Ecuador's sierra and Amazonian regions, suggesting a distinct and escalating problem on the coast where domestic spaces are becoming sites of extreme gender-based violence.

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It is not only a juvenilization of lethal feminicidal violences, but also a displacement towards older ages of women who may be mothers of people linked to criminal systems or community leaders, women with care and community responsibilities.