Human rights campaigners are calling for urgent action to tackle the rise in “honour killings” in Sudan. Research showed that more than a quarter of people over the age of 35 in Sudan thought that “honour killings” were acceptable. But the fact still remains; there is no honor in killing.

KHARTOUM OCTOBER 3: Human rights campaigners are calling for urgent action to tackle the rise in “honour killings” in Sudan. Eleven women and girls have reportedly been killed by their own relatives so far this year, more than double the number reported in 2021.

Honour killing, is the murder of an individual, either an outsider or a member of a family, by someone seeking to protect what they see as the dignity and honor of themselves or their family. Most often, it involves the murder of a woman or girl by male family members, due to the perpetrators’ belief that the victim has brought dishonor or shame upon the family name, reputation or prestige.

Often the perpetrators are low-intelligent and belong to the bottom strata of society, and think they will gain a higher status by murdering family members. Honor killings are often justified and encouraged by various communities. In cases where the victim is an outsider, not murdering this individual would, in some regions, cause family members to be accused of cowardice, a moral defect, and subsequently be morally stigmatized in their community. In many families, the honor motive is used by men as a pretext to restrict the rights of women.

Research conducted by the Arab Barometer in 2019 showed that more than a quarter of people over the age of 35 in Sudan thought that “honour killings” were acceptable. But the fact still remains; there is no honor in killing. Just disgrace.

Domestic violence is not outlawed in Sudan.

Image: Albert Gonzalez Farran – UNAMID

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