FIVE women are killed every hour around the world by their abusive partners or family members, according to new figures published today.

An estimated 43,600 women die as a result of domestic violence every year — or one every 12 minutes — as shown by an analysis of causes of death in a United Nations global crime study.

More than half a million women will lose their lives at the hands of violent partners or relatives by 2030, according to the charity ActionAid.

On the eve of International Women’s Day, it called for more funding to be focused on women’s aid — especially in almost a quarter of the countries in the world that still do not criminalise domestic violence or have no laws to protect victims of abuse.

The charity recommends that £70 million be taken out of the existing aid budget over the next three years to fund women’s aid and shelter schemes.

ActionAid UK women’s rights campaigns manager Sarah Carson said: “As a woman, the most common form of violence you are likely to face is domestic violence.

“This is a horrific symptom of gender inequality. “With a third of all women experiencing some form of violence in their lifetime, the issue is a global epidemic and one which threatens the lives of millions of women every day.

“Women living in poverty and those facing other forms of discrimination are often at greater risk.”

Meanwhile, BBC 5 Live Investigates reported that 159 police officers in England and Wales had been accused of targeting victims of rape and domestic abuse for relationships over four years.

Human rights lawyer Debaleena Dasgupta said that officers should be completely banned from forming relationships with vulnerable people who seek police help.

She said: “In the same way that we would never accept, for example, a teacher and a student can have a relationship even though that student is perhaps over the age of 18.”

The National Police Chiefs Council said recognition of the problem has increased and that it’s dealt with “robustly,” according to the BBC. 

Funding for women’s aid in Britain needs to be ringfenced to cope with the increasing numbers of people affected by domestic violence, said feminist direct action group Sisters Uncut.

The group, which protests against local authorities cutting domestic violence help centres, said: “We are demanding that in his Budget on March 16, George Osborne guarantees long term funding solutions for all specialist domestic violence services.

“Women are not safe if funding is not secure. We’re still waiting.”