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- murder
- Patriarchy
honor killing
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What is an honor killing?
An honor killing is the murder of a family member, most often a woman or girl, by male relatives. They claim the victim brought dishonor upon the family name.
These victims are alleged to have engaged in "sexually immoral" actions, like talking to men or having sex outside marriage, even if they were victims of sexual assault. Other reasons include refusing arranged marriage or seeking divorce, even from an abusive husband. The mere suspicion can trigger an attack based on menâs feelings rather than objective truth. Ironically, female relatives sometimes defend the killings and help set them up.
The UN estimates that 5,000 women are killed annually for reasons of honor. These crimes occur worldwide but mostly in the Middle East and South Asia. Some countries are reluctant to criminalize it effectively, and trials often focus on the womanâs behavior rather than the violence committed against her.
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Why do some people commit honor killings?
Honor killings are acts of violence, typically murder, against women or girls by male family members who believe the victim has brought dishonor upon the family.
Motives include alleged "sexually immoral" acts, such as talking to unrelated men or sex outside marriage, even rape. Other reasons include refusing arranged marriage or seeking divorce, even from an abusive husband. Suspicion alone can trigger an attack, often based on male perceptions rather than objective truth. Ironically, female relatives may support or enable these killings.
The UN estimates about 5,000 honor killings occur yearly worldwide, mainly in the Middle East and South Asia. Though internationally condemned, some countries are reluctant to criminalize it effectively. Trials often focus on the victim's behavior, and lenient sentences may be given if the defense claims it was to restore family honor. These killings violate both civil and Islamic law, but perpetrators often use religious reasons to justify their actions, with light or no punishment.
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Which cultures or societies have reported honor killings?
Honor killings are murders, most often of women or girls, by male family members who believe the victim has brought dishonor upon the family. These killings are rooted in patriarchal societies where a woman's virginity and "sexual purity" are deemed the responsibility of her male relatives.
Honor killings occur worldwide and are not limited to a specific religion, but they have occurred with significant consistency in parts of the Middle East and South Asia, with almost half of them occurring in India and Pakistan. These killings are violations of both civil and Islamic law, but perpetrators often use religious reasons to defend their actions.
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How are victims of honor killings usually chosen?
Victims of honor killings are usually women or girls murdered by male family members who believe they have brought dishonor upon the family name or prestige. This can include alleged "sexually immoral" actions, such as conversing with men or having sex outside of marriage, even in cases of rape or sexual assault. Other reasons include refusing arranged marriage or seeking divorce, even from an abusive husband. The mere suspicion of behavior damaging to the family's name can trigger an attack, often based on men's feelings rather than objective truth. Ironically, female relatives may defend the killings and sometimes help set them up.
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What are some consequences for families and communities involved in honor killings?
Honor killings are acts of violence, often murder, against women or girls by male family members who believe the victim has brought dishonor upon the family. These actions can lead to severe consequences for families and communities, including social stigma, isolation, and a breakdown of community trust.
In communities where honor killings occur, there may be a reluctance to report such crimes due to direct or indirect support among residents, and legal systems may fail to adequately criminalize or punish the act. The focus of trials may shift to the victim's behavior rather than the violence committed, and lenient sentences may be sought by claiming the crime was to restore family honor. Some countries' laws even allow for minimal or no punishment for honor killings.
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What are governments and organizations doing to prevent honor killings?
Governments and organizations are working to prevent honor killings through increased international awareness and the implementation of stricter penalties for violence against women. However, some countries are reluctant to effectively criminalize it, and trials often focus on the victim's behavior rather than the violence committed. Some legal systems even allow defendants to claim they were restoring family honor to receive reduced sentences. Despite efforts, these crimes continue to occur, particularly in the Middle East and South Asia, with many cases remaining unreported due to community support.
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honor killing, most often, the murder of a woman or girl by male family members. The killers justify their actions by claiming that the victim has brought dishonor upon the family name or prestige.
In patriarchal societies, the activities of girls and women are closely monitored. The maintenance of a womanâs virginity and âsexual purityâ are considered to be the responsibility of male relativesâfirst her father and brothers and then her husband. Victims of honor killings usually are alleged to have engaged in âsexually immoralâ actions, ranging from openly conversing with men who are not related to them to having sex outside of marriage (even if they are the victims of rape or sexual assault). However, a woman can be targeted for murder for a variety of other reasons, including refusing to enter into an arranged marriage or seeking a divorce or separationâeven from an abusive husband. The mere suspicion that a woman has acted in a manner that could damage her familyâs name may trigger an attack; these assumptions are generally based on menâs feelings and perceptions rather than on objective truth. Ironically, female relatives often defend the killings and occasionally help set them up.
Although such crimes are widely suspected to be underreported, the United Nations Population Fund estimates that as many as 5,000 women are killed annually for reasons of honor. These crimes take place throughout the world and are not limited to one specific religion or faith. However, they have rather significantly and consistently occurred in various parts of the Middle East and South Asia, with nearly half of all honor killings occurring in India and Pakistan.
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In the 21st century, there was an increased international awareness of honor killing, however, some countries remained reluctant to take the necessary steps to effectively criminalize it. In the relatively uncommon event that a man was prosecuted for the killing, the subsequent trial would often focus on the womanâs alleged behaviour, rather than the violence committed against her. When a man was found guilty, the defendant could claim that the crime had been committed to restore sullied family honor and petition the court for a reduced sentence. In India, for example, the government enacted strict penalties for violence against women during the 1980s. However, honor killings based on intercaste and interreligious marriages continued to take place in rural areas, where they were largely unreported to police because of direct or indirect support among village residents. Such murders were often ruled as accidents when reported. A woman beaten, burned, strangled, shot, or stabbed to death could be ruled a suicide, even if there were multiple wounds and there was no possibility the woman could have killed herself.
In some countries, such as Jordan, honor killings are either legal or minimally punished. Article 340 of the Jordanian Penal Code exempts from punishment those who kill female relatives found âguiltyâ of committing adultery, and Article 76 of the temporary penal code allows defendants to cite âmitigating reasonsâ in assault crimes. In 2011 Jordanian legislators attempted to amend Article 76 to prevent its use by defendants in honor killings, but pressure from social groups caused those efforts to stall.