The article argues that femicide should be legally recognized as a specific crime because current homicide laws fail to capture the systemic, gender-based nature of these killings. Some European countries, such as Malta, Cyprus and Croatia have recently introduced femicide into their legal codes, while Latin American states have treated it as a distinct offence. However, gaps still persist with this social issue: under reporting, misclassification, and inconsistent definitions globally make it difficult when calculating cases. Recognizing that femicide is not only about the punishment, but also a long-term creation of prevention is imperative. Legal reform must be accompanied by cultural change, data collection, gender equality policies, and to have state accountability.