On the eve of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, it is necessary to first delve into the history of this day before addressing the issue of honor killings. In 1999, the United Nations officially recognized November 25th as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, in honor of the bravery and sacrifice of the Mirabal sisters in the Dominican Republic who were murdered for their fight against the dictatorship of their country. This day was established to raise public awareness about violence against women. In 2008, the “Orange the World” campaign was launched with the goal of ending violence against women and promoting opposition to violence against women.

Violence against women is a specialized term used to describe general violent behaviors against women based on gender, which often result in physical, sexual, or psychological harm to women. Undoubtedly, violence against women exists in all countries around the world; however, in developed countries, it is considered a crime and those who commit acts of violence against women are punished by law.

The main cause of violence against women is in various forms of legal discrimination and sexist traditions and patriarchy, which prevent women from achieving equality with men in all aspects of life. Violence both stems from and perpetuates discrimination. One of the most common forms of this destructive phenomenon is in family and private environments; in environments where, in many societies, there is still essentially a male-dominated territory and is the cause of countless tragedies and abnormalities, including honor killings.

Domestic violence.

Domestic violence is a global phenomenon and refers to physical or psychological abuse of a family member against another member or members of the same family, often perpetrated by male family members against women and children. Domestic violence takes various forms and encompasses a wide range of violent behaviors; from insults and derogatory remarks to murder. Honor killing is the most severe and blatant form of violence. Promoting a culture of punishment and control, such as “commanding good and forbidding evil,” is among the factors that increase domestic violence.

Mosquito killing.

The murder of a family member (usually a woman) is committed due to the perpetrators’ belief that the victim has caused dishonor or shame to the family or male members of the family. In addition, honor killings are a result of deeply ingrained misogynistic attitudes towards women and their position in society. Sexual minorities are also often subjected to physical and sexual violence, as well as threats of execution and honor killings. Men can also become victims of honor killings by the male family members of a woman they are believed to have had a relationship with outside of marriage.

“Gheyrat” in Persian means masculine envy and jealousy (1). In some cultures, “namoos” refers to the women of the family (mother, sister, wife, and daughter). This word has its roots in the sense of ownership that men have over women. Men use the excuse of protecting the “namoos” of women to control them, and this control often leads to the murder of women.

Common reasons for murders include rejection of marriage proposal or forced marriage, falling in love, having a relationship or affiliation with social groups outside of the family that are not approved by the individual’s family, having a sexual relationship before or outside of marriage, being a victim of assault or sexual harassment, choosing a type of clothing that is not accepted by male family members, refusing to wear a veil, homosexuality, requesting divorce or separation from a spouse, choosing a desired career such as acting, modeling, or even makeup artistry, etc. Additionally, with the expansion of social media and activity in the virtual space, online chatting or messaging, posting photos on social media platforms such as Facebook or Instagram can also be perceived as dishonorable.

A part of “masculinity” is related to the social status of individuals; so that if this “masculinity” is somehow threatened or diminished, a man may try to regain it; therefore, in order to prove their “honor and masculinity” in this matter, the killer will not be satisfied with simply killing; they must record it and then show it to their peers or find their way to the city with a blood-soaked knife and say “I killed him”, say “I washed away this stain of shame”..

In patriarchal societies, women are perceived as weak and inferior beings who need protection and supervision. Strong religious beliefs play a major role in men’s ownership and superiority over women; masculinity is also seen as a privilege and a superiority. The more men show bias towards women in their families or tribes, the more respect they receive. Women are expected to be obedient to men and behave within the boundaries set for them. In such societies, women who deviate from the set boundaries are considered a disgrace and bring shame to their families, and are deserving of death as punishment.

Boys who learn domination and violence towards women from childhood, also commit violence against women in adulthood. Belief in patriarchal teachings creates a basis for discrimination between girls and boys, a sense of ownership of men towards women, and the subordination of women. Anti-women laws also play a significant role in the culture of patriarchy and the murder of women. Islamic punishment laws not only do not provide appropriate punishment for the murder of women by men, but also serve as an incentive for these murders.

According to Article 301 of the Islamic Penal Code, a father or grandfather who kills their child will not be subject to retribution, but will only be required to pay the blood money to the heirs of the victim and receive a punishment.

According to Article 600 of the Islamic Penal Code, if a woman witnesses her husband in the act of adultery with a stranger and has knowledge of the woman’s consent, she can kill him. Based on this article, many honor killings occur and the killer claims in court that the victim was “lost to honor,” while there is usually no judicial authority to prevent individuals from taking the law into their own hands. In the name of this law, addicted men, delusional from drug use or excessive suspicion, have been killing women. A suitable law could reduce honor killings.

Although honor killings are more common in countries under Islamic laws, we still witness them in many countries around the world, which can be considered as a crisis.

The scope of honor killings.

Honour killings occur in all continents; although they are more prevalent in countries with a strong patriarchal culture. According to the 2000 report by the United Nations, there are an estimated 5,000 honour killings annually worldwide. This number has been on the rise in recent years. A comprehensive study by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime shows that in 2017, over 50,000 women were killed by family members, compared to 10 times less in 2000. Of these, 20,000 were in Asia, 19,000 in Africa, 8,000 in the Americas, 3,000 in Europe, and 300 in Oceania, by their husbands, former husbands, or other close relatives.

It should be noted that accurate statistics on honor killings are not available, as many of these killings are recorded as suicides and news of most killings does not reach the media. Governments do not officially report these killings. Therefore, the true extent of honor killings remains shrouded in ambiguity.

According to this report, most women who have been killed by their husbands have endured long periods of torture and their motives are often jealousy, suspicion, or fear of separation. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, women and girls are killed in the name of “protecting family honor” through methods such as shooting, stoning, burning, being buried alive, strangulation, and being killed with a knife.

The author has conducted a study and investigation of 1220 cases of honor killings in the past twenty years, which shows that (4) of these killings were premeditated and mostly carried out with prior planning. The research also shows that methods such as acid attacks, burying alive, stoning, suffocation, stabbing with a sword, spear, axe, and poison, burning, and killing with a firearm or knife are used to eliminate the victims of honor killings. In this study, 251 cases were killed with a firearm and 373 with a knife. The results of this research also indicate that honor killings can occur at any age, but the majority of victims are between the ages of fourteen and forty.

Some of the reports and research conducted in Iran confirm the crisis of honor killings in Iran. According to Hadi Mostafaei, the deputy for combating criminal offenses of Tehran police, 20% of murders in Iran are honor killings and more than 50% of murder victims in Iran are killed by a family member (5). These types of murders are more prevalent in provinces with tribal and clan cultural backgrounds, such as Khuzestan, Kurdistan, Azerbaijan, Kermanshah, Ilam, and Sistan and Baluchestan. Gholamhossein Karami and his colleagues have addressed the phenomenon of honor killings (for the sake of honor) in Khuzestan province from 2011 to 2015 in their articles (6) and have examined the roots of 140 honor killings during this time period. The findings of their research show that among the perpetrators, tribal affiliation, social status, a culture of violence, attitudes towards women, and

As the COVID-19 pandemic has increased economic and social pressures, along with social isolation and movement restrictions, gender-based violence has also significantly increased. During this time, lack of access to support services has caused vulnerable women to be trapped with their abusers for extended periods of time in confined and unsuitable environments, and to be further controlled by male family members.

The investigations conducted on the 1220 murders show that the murder of Sioseh took place between the months of Ordibehesht and Khordad in 1400.

Given the increasing violence against women, urgent actions are necessary to prevent acts of violence and require collective action.

Solutions.

Here, strategies for preventing violence and honor killings will be discussed.

Education is one of the important solutions to reduce violence against women. This education can include workshops on women’s rights, anger management, and more. Educating both men and women in society can familiarize the community with women’s rights and the right to choose their own life according to their own opinions.

Improving women’s awareness of their individual rights, including the right to their own body and the right to live without violence, seems to be a key solution.

Drafting and approving a comprehensive law that prevents violence against women. Currently, the bill for protecting girls and women in the government has been approved and must be reviewed and approved in parliament; although this law criminalizes violence against women, it does not define the forms of violence against women; also, support mechanisms for women are not seen in this bill.

Establishment of safe houses is necessary to support women who are victims of violence, providing free access to counseling centers, and abolishing all discriminatory laws and mandatory veiling.

Joining the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

“Reforming all textbooks and removing gender stereotypes from them.”

Preventing anti-women and encouraging speeches from being applied to the system of managing scientific publications violent towards women.

Footnotes.

1- N.K. to: Dehkhoda Dictionary, Amid Dictionary, and Moein Dictionary of Persian Words.

2- For more information, refer to: .

Report.

Official United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Report on Drugs and Crime in 2018, p. 10.

3- The same…

4- This research, which took about nine months to collect information, is about 1220 cases of honor killings from all over Iran, conducted by the author of this article and will be published soon.

5- Tehran’s Deputy Police Chief announced that 20% of murders in Iran are honor killings.

Radio Tomorrow.

“28th of Ordibehesht month, 1393.”

6- Scientific Journal Management System, Volume 13, Issue 3 – Serial Number 51, Spring 1398, pp. 81-116.

7- Among the members of the United Nations, only six countries, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, and Tonga have not joined this convention. Two countries, the United States of America and Palau, have signed the convention, but have not yet joined it.