Femicide: When Gender Becomes a Target

Source: Valeria Márquez/Instagram v___marquez

On a quiet day in Zapopan, Mexico, 23-year-old TikTok influencer Valeria Marquez was livestreaming to her followers from her beauty salon. Smiling, she unwrapped a gift delivered to her door—a stuffed animal. Moments later, she was fatally shot. The livestream continued to roll as viewers watched in horror, until someone picked up the phone, ending the broadcast. Authorities are investigating her murder as a suspected femicide—a gender-based killing that has become disturbingly common in Mexico and many parts of the world.

What Is Femicide, and Why Does It Happen?

Femicide is not simply the homicide of a woman; it is the intentional killing of a woman because she is a woman. This often occurs within a larger cultural context of misogyny, control, and gender-based violence. According to Amnesty International, one in four female killings in Mexico in 2020 were investigated as femicides. The actual number may be even higher, as systemic underreporting and societal minimization of violence against women obscure the full scope of the crisis.

Psychologically, femicide is often rooted in toxic gender norms that reinforce male entitlement and female disposability. Perpetrators may act out of a desire to punish women for perceived transgressions, such as asserting independence, rejecting romantic advances, or simply occupying visible public spaces. In Marquez’s case, her status as a young, successful, and visible woman may have made her a target. Public-facing women—especially those with influence—are frequently subjected to harassment and threats long before such violence turns lethal.

Just before news of her tragic passing emerged, she had shared a mirror selfie to her Instagram Stories—now expired—alongside a mix of selfies and professional modeling shots. At the time, the beauty influencer had built a following of 149,000 on Instagram and more than 114,000 on TikTok. In the wake of her death, heartbroken fans flooded her recent posts with messages of grief and remembrance.

Culture, Power, and Prevention

The psychology of femicide intersects with broader social dynamics. Research has shown that in cultures where patriarchal values are strong and violence against women is normalized, femicide rates tend to be higher. Victims are often blamed, justice systems fail to act, and media coverage may sensationalize rather than contextualize the violence. This creates a feedback loop in which femicide becomes both a personal and political act used to instill fear and maintain dominance.

The livestreamed nature of Marquez’s murder adds another tragic layer. It not only heightened the shock and visibility of the crime, but also symbolized the real-time vulnerability of women in digital and physical spaces. Violence against women, once hidden in private homes, now plays out publicly, reinforcing the urgency of societal response.

Conclusion

Femicide demands more than punishment after the fact; it requires prevention, education, and a deep cultural reckoning. Until we challenge the ideologies that devalue women's lives and bodies, we will continue to see tragedies like that of Valeria Marquez repeat, livestream or not.

© Kevin Bennett, PhD, 2025