Understanding the Causes of Honor Killing: An Exploratory Study in South Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

Honor killing remains one of the most precarious gender issues in Pakistan despite the Pakistani government’s commitments to gender equality at International levels. Several women are killed every year in Pakistan in the name of honor by immediate relatives. This study was conducted in South Punjab in Pakistan with the aim to examine the cases of honor killing through a qualitative inquiry. To understand the phenomenon in-depth interviews were conducted with the families of women who had been victims of honor killing. This paper reports the findings from cases studies of twenty five women who had been killed in the name of honor to illustrate the conditions that lead to this social issue in South Punjab. The data depicts that the root cause was patriarchy which manifested itself in various forms. Marital issues emerged as fundamental precursors of honor killings in the study area. To address this grave issue of honor killing, the paper proposes that the Pakistani state needs to be proactive in taking necessary measures in punishing the culprits under the criminal law. Importantly, decisions of Jirqa and Punchayat system need to be dismantled to protect the lives of women.