Some 88% of women murdered in Ireland are killed by a man known to them, according to Women's Aid.

The voluntary organisation, which provides support and information to abused women and their children, has launched a new report, Femicide Watch 2017, to highlight this serious issue.

It shows that so far this year, eight women have died violently, six of them in their own homes.

The report builds on the works of the Women's Aid Femicide Monitoring Project, which began in 1996. Since then, 216 women have died - an average of 10 women per year. Sixteen children have died violently alongside their mothers.

Women's Aid emphasised that women are more likely to be killed in their own homes, and 88% of women murdered in Ireland are killed by someone they know. Over half of killers are current or former partners.

This dispels the belief that women are at high risk from ‘stranger danger', the organisation noted.

Meanwhile, the report points out that on average, intimate partners who are convicted of manslaughter are likely to serve almost three years less in jail than other male perpetrators.

"When women call Women's Aid and tell us that they are afraid for their lives, we believe them. We know just how dangerous domestic violence can be. Lethal violence is at the most severe end of the spectrum of domestic abuse. We know where women are killed. We know how women are killed and by whom. It is time to act," commented Women's Aid director, Margaret Martin.

She insisted that femicide by an intimate partner ‘must not be accepted as a fact of life for women'.

"Women should be safe in their homes and in their relationships. We must recognise the strong connection between the killing of women and domestic violence," Ms Martin said.

She pointed out that in 2016, over 20,000 disclosures of abuse of women and children were made to the organisation and every day, its 24-hour helpline hears from women ‘who live on a knife edge of fear'.

"It would be wrong to underestimate the scale and impact of violence against women. Homicide is the ultimate act of domestic violence. Last year, there were 646 threats to kill women, children and family members disclosed to Women's Aid.

"There were 522 additional disclosures of assaults with weapons, threats with weapons and being strangled and smothered. We also recorded 352 disclosures of stalking and 195 reports of assault during pregnancy," Ms Martin explained.

Risk factors for intimate partner femicide can include a history of physical violence, emotional abuse and controlling behaviour. In 2016, Women's Aid heard 11,000 disclosures of emotional abuse and controlling behaviour and it is known that leaving or attempting to leave an abusive relationship ‘is often a very dangerous time for a woman'.

Women's Aid feels that increased recognition and management of risk factors for intimate partner homicide would lead to an improved response to domestic violence by the State and its agencies.

"As a matter of urgency, we must start the practice of reviewing all domestic violence homicides. In other jurisdictions, domestic homicide reviews are systematic multi-agency reviews, which are understood to be a route to improving both risk assessment and management, alongside identifying gaps in policy and practice.

"These mechanisms are crucial to increase safety for women and their children and hopefully reduce the numbers of lives lost because of domestic violence," Ms Martin said.

She added that each woman murdered is ‘an outrage'.

"We publish our Femicide Watch Report 2017 to pause, and to remember and reflect on the lives lost to male violence. There is no greater violation of a woman's human rights than the right to life itself. Women's Aid stands in solidarity with families, friends and communities of women murdered, and with the many women currently living with abuse.

"We remember those women murdered but where no perpetrator has been charged, and the other cases yet to come to trial. Our thoughts are with their families who are waiting for justice. And we will continue this work to bring to light what goes on behind closed doors in Ireland."

The report was launched to coincide with International Day Opposing Violence against Women (November 25).

The Women's Aid national helpline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call 1800 341 900. More information on Women's Aid is available here