honor killings presentation 1 (1)

HonorHonor KillingsKillingsBY:BY:

MOHITMOHITSHARMASHARMA

An honor killing or honor killing (also called a customary killing) is the killing of a member of a family or social group by other members, due to the belief of the perpetrators (and potentially the wider community) that the victim has brought dishonor upon the family or community. Honor killings are directed mostly against women and girls.

Some women are burned alive by their families to regain the family honor

These are women who These are women who AllegedlyAllegedly

dishonored their families.dishonored their families.

Honor Killings as a Global ProblemHonor Killings as a Global Problem

Large number of cases are reported mostly in parts of the Middle East and South Asia

The issue is a global one where other cases have been reported in Bangladesh, Great Britain, Brazil, Ecuador, Egypt, India, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Pakistan, Morocco, Sweden, Turkey, and Uganda.

HISTORYHISTORY

Honor killing is different from the dowry deaths that are prevalent in India.

This tradition was first viewed in its most horrible form during the Partition of the country in between the years 1947 and 1950 when many women were forcefully killed so that family honor could be preserved.

Honor killings have been reported in northern regions of India, mainly in the Indian states of Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Bihar.

The Practice of Honor KillingsThe Practice of Honor Killings

• Honor killings are not formally approved Honor killings are not formally approved by Islamic law or religion.by Islamic law or religion.

What is being done?What is being done?

In 1990 the National Commission for Women set up a statutory body in order to address the issues of honor killings among some ethnic groups in North India.

. The NCW's activism has contributed significantly towards the reduction of honor killings in rural areas of North India

Reasons for honor killing

The perceived dishonour is normally the result of the following behaviors, or the suspicion of such behaviors:

(a) utilizing dress codes unacceptable to the family/community,

(b) wanting to terminate or prevent an arranged marriage or desiring to marry by own choice, or

(c) engaging in certain sexual acts, including those with the opposite or same sex.

Reasons for honor killings include: suspicions of infidelity, flirting, desire for divorce, and marrying someone of their own choice.

Honour killing in India

NORTH INDIA

Many killings are happening with regularity in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. These are socially sanctioned by caste panchayats and carried out by mobs with the connivance of family members.

SOUTH INDIASOUTH INDIA

• Honor killings are rare to non-existent in South India, and the western Indian States of Maharashtra and Gujarat.

• There have been no honor killings in West Bengal in over 100 years, thanks to the influence and activism of reformists like Vivekananda, Ramakrishna, Vidyasagar and Raja Ram Mohan Roy.

Rural vs Urban areas

There are various misconceptions regarding the practice of honor killing:

The first misconception about honor killing is that this is a practice that is limited to the rural areas.

The truth is that it is spread over such a large geographical area that one cannot isolate honor killings to rural areas only, though one has to admit that majority of the killings take place in the rural areas.

LAWSLAWS

Law soon to curb honor killings, says ChidambaramNEW DELHI: Severe punishment awaits those involved in honor killings as the government intends to bring a law on the matter in the current Parliament session itself, Home Minister P Chidambaram said in Lok Sabha today.

RECENT EXAMPLERECENT EXAMPLE

Honour claims two lives in Sirsa? By Shafiq - Posted on 22 March 2011

SIRSA: In a shocking incident raising suspicion of honour killing, 21-year-old boy and his 18-year-old girlfriend died mysteriously in Bajekan village here on Sunday. Adding more to the mystery, families cremated the bodies without any inquest proceedings.

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION

The usual remedy to such murders is to suggest

that society must be prevailed upon to be more

gender-sensitive and shed prejudices of caste and

class. Efforts should be made to sensitise people on

the need to do away with social biases. But equally,

it should be made clear that there is no escape for

those who take justice into their own hands.