“Honor crimes are a clear violation of women's human rights and states are bound to protect women from such violations. Nonetheless, in many countries, honor crimes are either condoned through government inaction or defended as legitimate cultural practices.” ( Integration of the human rights of women and the gender perspective: Violence Against Women and "Honor" Crimes,” Human Rights Watch Oral Intervention at the 57th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights, Geneva, April 6, 2001 )

Honor Killings

‘Honor’ killings are murders of women and girls, most often committed by male relatives, justified by a perceived or imagined shame brought onto the family by the women; the shame, or ‘dishonor,’ is usually (but not always) sexual in nature. Honor killings are part of a larger group of acts known as "honor crimes," that are normally linked to "protecting" a woman or her families honor. The premise for these acts is usually that a woman's sexuality must be suppressed in order to sustain her value and role in society.

The United Nations Population Fund’s report, “The State of the World Population 2000” states that “as many as 5,000 women and girls a year are murdered by members of their own families, many of them for the ‘dishonor’ of having been raped, often as not by a member of their own extended family.” Human Rights Watch asserts, “A woman can be targeted by her family for a variety of reasons including, refusing to enter into an arranged marriage, being the victim of a sexual assault, seeking a divorce -- even from an abusive husband -- or committing adultery. The mere perception that a woman has acted in a manner to bring ‘dishonor’ to the family is sufficient to trigger an attack.

A Case Study

Germany: In 1998, a young immigrant woman from Bosnia disappeared from her northern German town. It is suspected that she was murdered after being seen in the presence of male students from her German language class. While she was never found, only her friends continue to look for her. Her family has since ceased to acknowledge she ever existed. "Maja" was 19 years old and studying to be a medical technician. At 3, she was promised to the best friend of her father and at 16 was married to the then 66 year old man. His former two wives and older daughters treated the young woman like a servant and it was expected that she would never be allowed to have children. Shortly prior to her disapperance, "Maja" confided in friends that she was pregant, news that would surely upset her husband. This furthered her deteroriating status within her marriage as her husband complained that she was disgracing him by communicating with male classmates. Because of her illegal status in Germany, her disappearance never resulted in an official investigation.

Honor Killings Are A Global Problem

In the last few years alone, “honor” killings have been reported in over 20 countries around the world; the countries includeing Albania, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Denmark, France, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, Sweden, Turkey, Uganda, and the United States. These murders are more common in, but not exclusive to, countries with large Muslim populations. It is very important to note, however, that Islamic leaders have condemned the practice and say it has no religious basis. Distressingly, whilst most religious leaders condemn the murders, there still exist countries that ultimately condone them by legally exempting their perpetrators from punishment, or ignoring the crimes altogether.  For instance, a section of the Jordanian criminal code states that, "A husband or a close blood relative who kills a woman caught in a situation highly suspicious of adultery will be totally exempt from sentence."Even in countries where the laws are clearly against murder, ‘honor’ killings take place. Among some Moslem families who have settled in western countries, young women have been killed for acting in ‘western’ ways, or ways that bring ‘shame’ on their family. In Germany alone, there were 40 cases of ‘honor’ killings documented by the Turkish women's organization Papatya between 1996 and 2005.

Honor Crimes Are Often Traditional Harmful Practices

Honor crimes that do not result in the death of the woman or girl are also violent in nature. In Cameroon, Chad, and other West African countries, a practice of breast ironing has been identified as a traditional form of honor crimes. Young girls, some only 9 years old, have their breasts ironed by hot or heavy objects for the purpose of suppressing their sexual development and growth. According to a local 2006 report by the German development agency and the Cameroonian NGO, Renatu, 25% of girls in Cameroon have had their breasts ironed. Mothers and other female family members are typically the ones to iron the girl's breasts, making the practice entrenched in family life.

Hope for the future

In Turkey, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo(Turkish g needed here)an, State Minister for Women's Affairs Nimet Çubukçu and Religious Affairs Directorate head Ali Bardakolu have declared November 25, 2006, “Prevention of Violence Against Women Day,” in a committed effort to educate the population about gender violence and “to send a strong message against the abuse of women.” Possibly the most important message will be State Minister Çubukçu’s, who will make it clear that the laws have changed and that the crime of 'honor killing' now carries a life sentence.

Movements against ‘honor’ killings are gaining strength and visibility around the world. As the international community, non-governmental organizations, and local women’s groups continue to speak out against these human rights violations, countries around the world will hopefully begin to follow Turkey’s example and legislate against family-sanctioned murder of women in the name of ‘honor.’ And, in Cameroon, local women's agencies and international NGOs, such as FAIR Fund, are coming together to build a community response, raise awareness of, and put an end to such harmful honor crimes as breast ironing.