Femicide is defined as the act of killing a woman simply because she is a woman. Acts of femicide include “honor killings,” “dowry deaths,” genital mutilation, rape in war, and the victimization of refugee women. The treatment of detained women and detained immigrant women is also linked to the issue of femicide. Essentially, femicide is a form of gender-based violence (Stuart van Wormer & Bartollas, 2011). It is considered an extreme form of gender violence that can include torture, mutilation, cruelty and sexual violence. The violence often culminated in murder. This violence is linked to gender concepts such as inequality, discrimination and powerlessness (Feminicide, 2008). It is also seen as “a form of terrorism that functions to define gender lines, implement and reinforce male dominance, and make women chronically and profoundly unsafe” (Suarez, 2009). Based on federal and state international law, women have the right to be free from violence. Overall, acts of feminicide are seen as a violation of women's human rights (Feminicide, 2008). The main problem with family violence against women and girls is the fact that such actions are culturally sanctioned. This attachment to culture makes prevention and control difficult. Attempts to control such practices can be seen as a violation of cultural norms and even as a violation of cultural identity. Are people simply ethnocentric about such practices, denouncing them because they are not normal by others' standards? There is a lot to consider when trying to control a cultural practice. Consideration of the cultural relevance of cultural practice is one of them. The World Health Organization (WHO), which offers gender-ba...... half of document ....... (2011). Women and the criminal justice system, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Suarez, J. (2009). Guatemala/USA Human Rights Commission Fact Sheet: Femicide and Femicide. Retrieved from http://www.ghrc-usa.org/Programs/ForWomensRighttoLive/factsheet_femicide.pdfReferences:Causes and risk factors. (2008). Retrieved from Stop Violence Against Women: http://stopvaw.org/Causes_Contributing_Factors.htmlFemicide. (2008). Retrieved from Stop Violence Against Women: http://stopvaw.org/Femicide.htmlStuart Van Wormer, K. & Bartollas, C. (2011). Women and the criminal justice system, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Suarez, J. (2009). Guatemala/USA Human Rights Commission Fact Sheet: Femicide and Femicide. Retrieved from http://www.ghrc-usa.org/Programs/ForWomensRighttoLive/factsheet_femicide.pdf