Kara Welsh and Rebecca Cheptegei may appear to be vastly different individuals.

Welsh, an American gymnast and national champion on vault, was just starting her senior year in college at the age of 21. Cheptegei was a Ugandan marathon runner who placed 44^th in the marathon at the recent Paris Olympics. At 33, she was the mother of two young girls.

Tragically, just days apart, both women lost their lives in unacceptable and shocking circumstances. Like far too many women, both Welsh and Cheptegei were victims of violence from their intimate partners.

This violence knows no boundaries; it affects women regardless of their identity, location, or age. Until society truly values women equally to men, all women remain vulnerable to harm.

“We have let this become something that we no longer even speak out against,” said Viola Cheptoo Lagat, a Kenyan runner who founded Tirop’s Angels to raise awareness on domestic violence following the murder of fellow marathoner Agnes Tirop in 2021, speaking to Voice of America after Cheptegei’s death.

“We’ve made it acceptable to witness women being abused — to see theft occurring without raising our voices, until it results in a loss of life.”

The circumstances surrounding the deaths of Welsh and Cheptegei are horrifying and have sparked immense outrage and condemnation.

Welsh was shot eight times by her boyfriend on August 30, according to the criminal complaint filed against Chad T. Richards. He claimed self-defense, but police found that Welsh’s injuries indicated at least some shots were fired while she was curled up defensively on the ground.

Cheptegei was severely burned, suffering injuries on 80% of her body after her ex-boyfriend attacked her with gasoline and set her ablaze last Sunday. She succumbed to her injuries four days later.

As horrific as these incidents are, they are unfortunately representative of a global crisis.

In 2022 alone, approximately 48,800 women and girls were murdered by intimate partners or family members, based on a United Nations report on femicide released last November. This translates to over 133 women being killed each day by someone close to them.

Not just injured or hospitalized.

Killed.

These statistics encompass women who die during arguments, those murdered after being assaulted, victims of dowry or “honor” killings, women trafficked for exploitation, and women accused of witchcraft, among other tragedies.

Moreover, these deaths do not occur in isolation. Each of these women leaves behind grieving families. For instance, Cheptegei’s daughters witnessed their mother’s brutal assault and had to endure the trauma of watching her suffer.

Similarly, Welsh’s older sister, Kaeli, shared her heartbreak, saying, “My little sister, Kara, was my life. She radiated joy, always knew how to make others laugh, and was my absolute favorite person.” This was expressed during a court hearing for Richards on Tuesday.

As much as society might want to ignore domestic violence, the statistics indicate otherwise.

In North America, nearly 2,500 women and girls were killed by family members or intimate partners in 2022, according to the UN. Interestingly, while femicide rates in South and Central America have decreased from 2017 to 2022, those in North America have seen a staggering increase of 29%, a rise largely attributed to events in the United States.

“The United States has shown a rise in murders of women by intimate partners and family members in recent years, particularly since 2020,” the report noted.

Now think about how many acts of domestic violence go unreported or, even when reported, are met with inadequate justice. While men comprise the majority of homicide victims worldwide (80%), a significant 66% of intimate partner murder victims are women.

The increasing availability of firearms in the United States plays a role in this crisis. However, the ongoing tolerance for the degradation and marginalization of women is equally harmful.

Notably, a former president of the United States was found by a civil jury to have sexually assaulted a woman, yet no substantial repercussions followed.

This disqualification prevents him from being the Republican nominee again. His running mate, on the other hand, often makes derogatory comments about women, implying their only roles are to bear and raise children.

Restrictions on abortion endanger the health and safety of women. They continue to encounter obstacles in the corporate sector and within government positions. Educational institutions are still failing to adequately support their female students, particularly in sports.

Given these negative examples, it’s no surprise that some boys and young men may perceive women as less valuable. In such an environment, can we really be astonished if some view women’s bodies and souls as disposable?

The collective shock and reflection sparked by the deaths of Welsh and Cheptegei is a positive sign. Yet, it is vital to remember that 132 other women also lost their lives on the day Welsh passed away, and another 132 on the day Cheptegei died. These women had equal worth, and their deaths were just as meaningless.

This must come to an end.

Follow YSL News Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.