By: Aliza Aiman
Gender-based violence persists across cultures affecting all women irrespective of their social standings, religious orientations and geographical locations. Women face several challenges in their lives. However, domestic violence, harassment at workplace, emotional torture, and honour killings are particularly painful and pinching experiences. Honour killing is the worst of all forms of violence. It has become an unending decades-long global ill. It plagues nations. The horror that follows honour killing is exacerbated by the flaws in the judiciary and failure of states to protect their citizens and establish their writ in order to ensure the enjoyment of basic human rights by their citizens. Honour killings reflect that society is uneducated, possesses a sick mentality and is unaware of UN charter and religious teachings. It effectively portrays society’s failure to protect its women. However, some practical measures such as giving women access to education, providing them economic independence, and ensuring their political inclusivity can be taken to transform the situation. Adoption of these measures may make a big impact in terms of empowering women as the lives of the women who happen to be in violation of the so called honour code will no longer be in the hands of their fathers, brothers and sons.
Honour killings reflect patriarchy. It unveils male dominance and exploitation of women. Women are not independent. They are subject to violence. They lose lives in the name of honour. Unfortunately, thousands of women are brutally tortured and killed every year across the globe for the crime of not obeying the rules of celibacy imposed by the male members of their families. It is a stark example of gender disparity. Societies do not enjoy respect and honour when they kill citizens because of their slave-like submission to logically incomprehensible traditions.
The rights of women are comprehensively documented in the charter of the UN. It gives equal rights to all human beings irrespective of their colour, class, caste, religion, race, and background. It is society that deprives them of their fundamental rights. They are deprived of education. They have to face gender disparity in the health sector in the provision of health facilities. They do not have freedom of speech. They only survive to fulfill the desires of men. They satisfy the emotional needs of their men without demanding the same treatment from their spouses.
Honour killings depict a weak judicial system and lawlessness. Laws are formulated to protect citizens. Judiciary exists to execute laws and punish wrongdoers. When judiciary fails to provide justice and implement laws, the state has to pass through an environment of anarchy and mistrust. Similarly, honour killings in a country unveil loopholes in the law and its poor implementation. The provision of justice without any discrimination creates a sense of safety and protection. Women lose life in the name of honour because murderers are not penalized. They go scot free because of the weak Judiciary and poorly executed laws. Laws are only for the weak, powerless, and innocent people. In such societies murder of a human being is not taken as a heinous crime.
Honour killing destroys the prestige of the country at international level. International media highlights prominent cases such as that of Noor Mukadam to bring the country under scrutiny. Other countries nominate such societies as ‘hard places for women’. People feel insecure and do not send their daughters, sisters and wives to such countries for education, tourism, and jobs.
Honour killings are plague. These ills exist in uneducated and backward societies. From education to health, society to Politics and economy to religion, women have to face manifold challenges due to male dominance and backward mentality. They are oppressed, suppressed and marginalized in every walk of life. They are voiceless. Women are deprived of their due rights. They are subjected to character assassination when they try to find ways and opportunities for themselves by coming out in men dominated public space. They are killed for the sake of honour. The life of a human being is given an inferior place than honour. Women are vulnerable to violence in every part of the world. It is only because of denial of independent identities of women and a culture of insensitivity to their needs.
Similarly, none of the religions allows killing of human beings. Despite this fact, women are killed in Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Hindus and Buddhist societies. It clearly unveils deviation from religious teachings. They are not following sayings and teachings of their religions. Some religions even do not allow killing of animals. For instance, Ashoka ( an ancient Indian king) banned meat eating during his rule for the sake of animal’s protection. However, in present age, human blood is shed in the name of honour without any regard to religious teachings.
Economic independence plays a pivotal role in woman empowerment. They feel confident and strong if they are given economic parity. They must be provided equal working opportunities, financial stability and economic parity. It will reduce the chances of women vulnerability to violence. It is the key to women emancipation. Therefore, they should be provided safe working opportunities.
Similarly, women should be mainstreamed in politics. It paves way for democracy to flourish. It provides women a platform to provide their opinions. They become a part of the policy formulation mechanism. Men make plans and policies for women. Their issues are not properly addressed. Therefore, women incorporation in the political sphere will help them become a part of the legislation process. They will speak for their rights. They will stand against their decades-long marginalization. It is an opportunity for the women to bring forth their old unaddressed issues.
Education is the part and parcel of women empowerment. It plays role in forming opinions and developing characters. It will educate them about their rights and duties. It breeds tolerance. It imparts ethical values. Education creates consciousness of rights. Therefore, education is necessary to ensure the survival of women in modern-day competition in all fields of life.
Last but not least, appropriate legislation and its implementation is need of the time. It is imperative to check the harassment of women at workplace. They are insecure at streets. They face body shaming comments. They are mentally tortured, emotionally blackmailed and physically teased. Women are unsafe at home and offices equally. Appropriate legislation in this regard may help in removing the disparity in public sphere in terms of participation of women in public life.
Sadly, every woman faces violence in her lifetime in one form or another. Honour killing is an extreme condition of violence. This is, however, an untenable situation. Honour killing is a scar on the face of many a nation which needs to be removed through adequate corrective measures. As a matter of fact, killing women in the name of honour saves no honour. A woman is nobody’s honour. She has an independent existence and a personhood of her own and she must be treated as such.
The writer is a student at Government College University, Lahore. She is a freelance columnist, focuses on gender-based issues and is interested in poetry and fiction.