Honor Suicides

Honor crimes are acts of violence, usually murder, committed by male family members against female family members who are thought to have brought dishonor upon the family. In the cultures that these crimes take place, women are often placed in subordinate positions [Page 723]to males. As subordinates, the wrongdoings of the women reflect onto and shame the men. The only way to restore honor to their families is for the shamed woman to die. A woman can be targeted by her family for a variety of reasons, including refusing to enter into an arranged marriage, being the victim of a sexual assault, seeking a divorce-even from an abusive husband-or (allegedly) committing adultery. Regularly, speculation that a woman has behaved in a specific way causing ...