KARACHI:
Killing women in the name of honour has emerged as a rising phenomenon and a daunting challenge in our country. Although cases of honour killing have been witnessed in the past, the continuous surge of such macabre incidents, now being increasingly highlighted on social media, are heart-wrenching.
The major reason that such practices still persist is the conservative mindset regarding women prevalent in much of the country. People tend to equate women with honour as if they are the prized possession of men. Therefore, if a woman commits an act that is considered disgraceful or violates social norms, they are either tortured or killed for supposedly disrespecting the family or the individual’s name. The problem is that not much is being done to ameliorate the issue. A major obstacle is that there is a dearth of knowledge and information. Accurate statistics are hard to come by as honour killings are often misconstrued as other crimes — either covered up or simply not reported.
Changing notions of honour and a better understanding of religion can help curb this menace. There is an urgent need for a massive transformation in the way men think and treat women. Furthermore, women must continue to speak up and challenge injustices and cultural elements that deny them their dignity and respect. We, women, in our hearts and minds need to muster up the strength to persevere in this fight.
Salma Tahir
Lahore
Published in The Express Tribune, March 5th, 2021.
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