Honor Killings in India: The Destruction of “Property”

Honor crimes bring in aspects of domestic violence and custodial violence. Women are being victimized for practicing their freedom of choice and have to pay with their life. They continue to be treated as second class citizens in their own country and are brutally murdered by members of their family. Though honor killings are nothing but pre-meditated murders authorized by panchayats (village made up of high caste males),they are glorified by society and are accepted as a cultural norm in India. Laws and policies have been implemented and amended to ensure women empowerment; however society must change their cultural norms to incorporate gender equality. Law enforcement agencies and the judicial court system in India are getting tough on perpetrators of honor killings. Though most politicians and policy makers are not taking an active stand against honor killings the United Nations is stepping in to ensure that women rights are being upheld in India. As a member of the United Nations, India has an obligation to empower women and to act as a guardian of these rights. Personal law, criminal law, customary law, and international law are all in conflict in regards to the issue of honor killings. Honor killings are an act against human kind and a crime of pre-mediated murder. More women should be part of the executive, legislative, and judicial part of the government in India to ensure women have a voice in society and decision making. The issue still remains that society does not see honor killings as a criminal act. To address this problem, awareness of barbaric honor crimes should be spread in society through the educational  system and gender equality should be emphasized in India. Laws and punishments for honor killings should be outlined and known to the public to deter honor killings. Women rights groups should be financially supported to help them empower women across the world. Shelters for victims of honor killings or those in danger should also be financially supported and increased in number. Women continue to be discriminated and treated as property in various parts of the country today because of societies’ gender bias system. To prevent honor killings and gender discrimination; women must know their rights and be empowered by social institutions like the government and courts. Hopefully, with the help of the United Nations and various women rights groups across the globe India will one day treat women as equals and not as property.