Honour killings

Pakistan has one of the highest rates of honour killing, reporting 1000 cases each year. On paper, that may be nothing more than a number, but in actuality, it is the lives of countless young women, snuffed out each year. Their crime? Being born in this wretched patriarchal society.
Burdened with protecting the honour of a man who would not think twice before murdering her for desecrating that honour. Each day brings new horrific cases of women killed in the name of honour. Losing their lives for the crime of challenging patriarchal structures. What’s worse is that there is a sick acceptance of this crime prevalent in our society. Somehow the honour of a man is more valuable than a woman’s life.
The number of reported cases is only a fraction of the actual numbers. Mainly because the perpetrators are families themselves, most cases do not get to see the light of the day and are often dubbed as suicide or natural death. Moreover, loopholes in honour killing laws have been providing impunity to the perpetrators for decades. Only recently, the clause for the victim’s family pardoning the murderer was eliminated, in the aftermath of Qandeel Balouch’s death.
We need to actively work on eradicating this practice from its roots through educational campaigns, ensuring strict implementation of the law at all levels, and setting up shelters for people at risk. We have to strive for the elimination of this practice so that innocent lives may be spared.
Shifa
Karachi