Brasilia, November 12 (teleSUR-RHC)-- The number of murders of Black women surged by 54 percent over the last ten years, rising from 1,864 in 2003 to 2,875 in 2013, according to a new study released by Brazilian government on Tuesday. 

Representative of U.N. Women in Brazil Nadine Gasman said the report sheds new light on the violence inflicted against Black or African-descendant Brazilian women. 

“Black women are exposed to direct violence in which they are fatally victimized, impacting the children and the people close to them,” Gasmen stated, adding that, "It is urgent to create public awareness around racism and promote institutional responses to support Black women.”

The report was carried out by the Latin American Social Sciences Institute (FLACSO) in coordination UN Women Brazil and the World Health Organization (WHO). 

The new publication found an average of 13 women were killed every day in 2013, making Brazil the fifth highest country among the 83 nations for which statistics are available through the World Health Organization.

Only El Salvador, with 8.9 murders for every 100,000 women, Colombia with 6.3, Guatemala with 6.2 and Russia with 5.3 have higher femicide rates.

The findings take place as the Brazilian government took an important step earlier this year to combat femicide by signing into law a measure that increases the penalty for such crimes. 

The new legislation alters the criminal code to describe femicide as any crime that involves domestic violence, contempt or discrimination against women. It also defines such acts as “aggravated murder,” which increases the penalties to 12 to 30 years.