Honour Killings As Multiple Violation of Woman's Human Rights

Abstract

This paper explores Honour killings through the lens of International Human Rights Law to broaden our understanding of honour related violence. I explore the relationship between honour, patriarchal control, and law which provides a deeper understanding of the motivations behind the honour killings. The thesis highlights that honour operates as a form of socio-economic currency and argues that honour must be reframed to position women as potential holders of honour property and to disassociate honour from the social regulation of women’s sexuality. I also analyze the legal framework and the ways in which existing laws, meant to protect women from violence, are interpreted and implemented by the Courts. There are flaws in the legal framework, which contribute to impunity for the perpetrators of human rights violations. Therefore, I argue that international human rights law provides the framework for bringing states accountability for the acts of honour killings. It provides comparative analysis of honour crimes while suggesting that these crimes are not unique to Islamic countries or third world cultures. I demonstrate that these crimes are manifestations of unequal power relations that reinforce men’s control and domination over women. It is a part of our patriarchal society that sees women in certain roles and their bodies as repositories of honour or the property of men. Religion and culture, as a result, just become tools to enforce these roles and to assure compliance. Law, thus, must play a more important role in protecting women from honour killings.