'Honour Killings' in Pakistan and Compliance of ... - Aurat Foundation

Causes of ‘Honour Killings’
When discussing the causes of honour killings, a number of different
issues were brought forward. Some of these have been discussed above,
such as the dominating issue of supposed male supremacy and the
subordination of women, as well as the consideration of women as the
property of men. The community also generally agree that one of the
major causes relate to the supposed ‘honour’ of men and the social nonacceptance
of diminishing of ‘honour’. Often the social intolerance and
taaney (taunts) about the lack of control that men exert over their own
household provoke the perpetrators into committing the crime. And
society plays the role of silent condemner.
One important element discussed was the trend to commit murder of
women for a variety of reasons under the pretext of honour killings in
order to give it social sanction, while in reality there were completely
different motivations. These include situations of family feuds in which
women are the bargaining chips as well as collateral damage, revenge,
desire to contract another marriage etc. Poverty was a major contributing
factor to a number of other issues, such as ownership of property, or with
regards to inheritance, i.e. removing women from the scene in order to
remove a legal heir, or to place the blame on another to remove him as a
legal heir. Land feuds have also been the actual motives behind honour
killings, and accusing another for committing an honour killing of a
woman in the family can be an effective way to blackmail and sue for
financial gains through compromise.
As discussed above, women in recent years have also started to transgress
the social boundaries and break the bonds imposed on them by a male
dominated society. With a greater number of women being educated, or
entering the work force, or even being influenced through example, it
becomes more and more difficult for them to remain within the traditional
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