▶ Simple Ways to Prevent Femicide in Today’s Society PT2

Femicide motivated by cultural and societal beliefs:

Honor killing:

According to UNFPA (The United Nations Population Fund), every year, over 5000 women around the world are murdered due to honor-based beliefs. Honor killing ranges from forced suicide to stoning, acid burns, flogging to death, hanging, and other heinous methods. According to a survey that was carried out in Diyarbakir City, over 40% of the participants supported such a barbaric practice.

The case of honor killing that broke my heart was that of Banaz Mahmod. She was a 20-year-old woman born into a traditional Kurdish family. Banaz was forced into an arranged marriage with an older man. She refused to stay in the marriage because her husband was always molesting her. So, she ended the marriage and returned to her parents, who were against her decision. Later on, she started a relationship with a young man, but her father and uncle tried to end the relationship. They said that she was violating their tradition and when she refused to listen to them, they gave the order for her to be murdered.

On the 24th of January, 2006, while Banaz’s parents were away, her cousins, Mohammed Saleh Ali and Omar Hussain arrived at her home. Mohamad Marid Hama also came with them, and the trio subjected Banaz to over two hours of torture and rape. Finally, they strangled and killed her with a ligature. Her corpse was put in a suitcase and buried in a garden in Handsworth, Birmingham.

It was her boyfriend that reported to the police that she was missing, and during the investigation, her father and uncle were arrested. The first three trials for Banaz’s murder commenced at the Central Criminal Court on March 5, 2007, and lasted for 14 weeks. At the end of the trial, her dad and uncle were sentenced to life imprisonment. Three of her cousins and two other people were also convicted and punished.

Killings due to dowry disputes:

In some parts of the world, particularly in South Asia, some married women are murdered or forced to commit suicide due to dowry disputes between the two families. The victim is often set on fire by her husband or in-laws, and sometimes it is disguised as suicide or an accident.

The practice of dowry death is predominant in India, Bangladesh, Iran, and Pakistan. Did you know that in India, a family that fails to fulfil the groom’s dowry requirement is usually ostracized? So, from the moment a girl is born, her family starts saving money for her wedding in the future.

Also, in India, between 2007 and 2009, the reported cases of dowry killing increased from 8,093 to 8,383. In the first half of the year 2009, the total recorded number of dowry-related violence cases was 119, and 78 of them died. A total of 8,233 dowry death cases were reported in 2012. So, in other words, a bride was burned every 90 minutes in India. 

Last year, a medical student named Vismaya committed suicide at her home in Kerala’s Kollam district. She had endured dowry harassment from her husband, and when she couldn’t take it anymore, she decided to hang herself. Kiran Kumar, her husband, was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in jail.

The Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961 was enacted to prevent the giving or receiving of dowry in India. However, after the decree was passed, specific forms of domestic violence were still rampant. So the legislation decided to amend the law. In 1984, it was specified that couples can receive gifts at the time of their wedding, but they must be given voluntarily.

Female infanticide:

This is the intentional killing of female infants, and in modern times, gender-selective abortion is performed. The reason for such killings is that the child is considered a second-class citizen. According to the data collated in 1978 by anthropologist Laila Williamson, female infanticide has occurred in every continent of the world. However, it is very common in places like Australia, Northern Alaska, China, Pakistan, and India. It has been confirmed that approximately 1 million selective female fetal abortions are carried out in India annually because their cultural, social, and religious fibers are mainly patriarchal.

Also, female infanticide is linked to a high poverty rate and lack of education in those regions. The dowry practice is also responsible for female infanticide. In this case, poorer families kill their female children due to fear of being unable to afford the dowry and wedding expenses in the future. The newborn can be killed through suffocation, exposure to a harsh environment, abandonment, deliberate denial of medical attention, violence, and poor nutrition.

In an attempt to curb this trend, the Pre–Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act was enacted in 1994. This law prohibits sex selection and the misuse of prenatal diagnostic techniques. An administration that regulates the sale, purchase, and use of ultrasound devices was established. However, despite the stringent rules that were put in place, female selective abortion and infanticide are still in existence.

Conclusion:

Did you know that as long as we refuse to untangle the knot of injustice against women, femicide will continue to exist? Eradicating femicide from our society is a complex issue because we need to address it at the individual, family, community, and social levels.

In the last five decades, different efforts have been made to end violence against women. However, the goal has not been achieved because we have not dealt with the root of the problem, which includes gender inequality beliefs, patriarchal social structures, hatred for women, and systemic discrimination.

To achieve this goal, we can start by improving the laws and policies that protect women’s rights. Moreover, most women residing in rural areas are not aware of their rights, which is why they don’t speak out, even when their lives are in danger. Therefore, more public awareness campaigns should be organized to educate both women and men.

In some locations, the rate of femicide wouldn’t have been very high if the security agencies were doing their job properly. The truth is that some of the women who were killed by family members had previously cried out for help. Unfortunately, they were ignored by both the police and society until they were killed. I recommend that a rapid response team responsible for dealing with female gender-related violence should be established at all levels of society.

Did you also know that a biased legal system can encourage femicide? In some locations, male offenders are not given stern punishment, and sometimes they bribe the authorities to regain their freedom. So, if such practice is not addressed, the rate of femicide will continue to increase.

Depending on the form of femicide prevalent in a particular region, the government should figure out what works in terms of prevention, quick response to complaints, and legal intervention. A monitoring survey should also be conducted after different initiatives have been implemented to know if they are working or not.

Also, before we can win this battle, we must address those cultural and religious beliefs that encourage such practices. I know that such belief systems cannot be easily modified overnight. However, if we can purge those negative practices from our generation, then they won’t be passed on to our offspring. Finally, the government cannot do it alone, so a collective effort is required. Therefore, as an individual, identify your role in this fight against femicide and start playing it today.

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