Her work in recording and commemorating UK women killed by men in a campaign called 'Counting Dead Women' has gained media coverage.[8][9][10] She is a co-creator of 'The Femicide Census' with
Women's Aid (England),[11] supported by
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP and
Deloitte LLP. The UK Femicide Census is a database containing information on women killed by men in England and Wales since 2009 (and now including Northern Ireland and Scotland).[12] The Femicide census [13] is a project enabling the monitoring and analysis of men's fatal male violence against women with the aim of contributing to the reduction of the number of women killed by men.[14] By gathering and combining data it is possible for service providers, law enforcement agencies, researchers and policy-makers to see that these killings are not isolated incidents and many follow similar patterns of male violence.[15][16] The Femicide Census launched its first UK report in December 2016.[12][17] In January 2022, data from the Femicide Census revealed that 52 of the men convicted of manslaughter or murder of women in the decade ending 2019 were either serving or past members of the armed forces.[18]
She is a director of
Woman's Place UK,[21] an advocacy group which promotes restricting access to
women-only spaces to women on the basis of "sex, not gender",[22] and has spoken at several of its meetings.[23]
Smith works on issues relating to male violence against women and is often invited as a spokesperson to comment in news reporting.[24][25] Her book Defending Women's Spaces is published by Polity Press in 2022 [26]
^"TRUSTEES AND SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM". nia. 15 February 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2021. Karen Ingala Smith has been Chief Executive of nia since 2009. Under Karen's leadership, nia has maintained an unapologetic feminist commitment to prioritising women who have been subjected to men's sexual and domestic violence and abuse, including prostitution. During an unfavourable economic climate, Karen has not only ensured nia's survival but built upon its reputation for responding to the needs of the women and children it serves.
^University, Durham.
"karen-ingala-smith". www.durham.ac.uk. Retrieved 3 October 2021.