Honor killing is prevalent mostly in the South of the world. The concept of honor killing can be traced back to the Roman era when the family leader had the right to kill an unmarried but sexually active daughter. It is usually for reasons that are thought of to bring dishonor to the entire family for an action. There are several underlying causes embedded in the fabrication of our society.
Economic factors, Social factors, Female education, Male dominance, and personal characteristics are some of the causes identified. Social factors are made either due to the culture of religious influence (mostly misinterpretations). In a patriarchal society, family pressure and the low status of females are some of the causes ( Selby, 2016). Economic Factors lead to several causes of Honour killing, i.e., economic dependency of females, Male dominance (masculinity), and Personal characteristics (Fear element in females) enhance the instances of Honour Killing as an effect. However, Female education, women empowerment, employment among females, and awareness have a negative effect on the Honour killing (Haile, 2003).
In Afghanistan, studies show that honor killings remain very high; there are many reasons given for this, such as social and cultural values and the low social and economic status of females. It is prevalent in Middle Eastern countries, some countries of Eastern Europe, and areas of the former Soviet Union. Honor killings act have also been found in North America, Canada, and Australia within immigrant populations ( Andersson, 2003).
Increasing female education will lead to a decrease in instances of honor killing. Enforcement of legal aspects regarding punishments for Honour Crimes should be made stricter. Females gaining more economic independence are less vulnerable to male domination, and hence, they are less victimized when it comes to honor crimes. Male hegemony should be eradicated by imparting moral and ethical education among males and also by teaching them to respect their females.
Works Cited
Andersson, A. (2003). Honor Killings – the Survival of Patriarchy in Different Societies. University of Lund Department of Sociology page 41-80.
Selby, D. (2016). Honor Killings: Everything You Should Know, and Why They Aren’t Honorable. Global Citizen.
Haile, J. (2003). Honor Killing: Causes & Consequences. Policy Department External Policies – European Parliament Briefing Paper.
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