Why do families kill their daughters

The stoning to death of a pregnant Pakistani
woman by her own family has thrust the issue of
so-called honour killings into the spotlight.
What is an 'honour killing'?
It is the killing of a member of a family who is
perceived to have brought dishonour upon
relatives.
Pressure group Human Rights Watch says the
most common reasons are that the victim:
refused to enter into an arranged marriage
was the victim of a sexual assault or rape
had sexual relations outside marriage, even if
only alleged
But killings can be carried out for more trivial
reasons, like dressing in a way deemed
inappropriate or displaying behaviour seen as
disobedient.
"The perpetrator seeks to excuse it as some sort
of protection of their family's honour, reputation or
values," says Mustafa Qadri, Pakistan researcher
for Amnesty International.
Last year, three women were killed in Pakistan
after being captured on video "smiling and
laughing in the rain outside their family home".
Men may also be targeted, by members of the
family of a woman with whom they are perceived
to have had an inappropriate relationship.
Last year in India, a young couple were murdered
in Haryan state because they planned to marry
despite being from the same caste. Nidhi Barak,
20, was beaten to death and Dharmender Barak,
23, dismembered alive.
But Rothna Begum, researcher on the Middle East
and North Africa for Human Rights Watch, says
women bear the brunt of such punishments
because they are more widely perceived as
"keepers" of family or community honour.
How do families justify the murders?
The idea that a murder can be honourable is
believed to come from tribal customs where an
allegation against a woman can be enough to
defile a family's reputation - the idea that "a life
without honour is not worth living".
Perpetrators have sometimes tried to justify their
actions on religious grounds - but none of the
world's main religions condone honour-related
crimes.
In some countries, these tribal customs have been
codified into law, which may constitute legal
grounds for killing a family member.
In Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas
for example, "rivaj" - or tribal custom - is codified
without being defined. This could be interpreted to
provide a legal basis for a killing, says Mr Qadri.
Nidhi and Dharmender were murdered allegedly by
Nidhi's family for planning to marry
The killings are also more prevalent in
disenfranchised or remote communities.
A collective failure by the authorities to prosecute
such crimes, and the tacit endorsement by local
clerics, contribute to them being more accepted,
says Mr Qadri.
But above all else, they are a feature of deeply
patriarchal societies where there is a belief that a
woman's actions reflect on the men around her,
he adds.
How widespread are such murders?
The United Nations Population Fund estimates that
5,000 women globally are murdered in this way
each year. Last year, 869 women were said to
have been killed in Pakistan.
Killings have previously sparked protests in places
like Pakistan
Women's advocacy groups suspect the global
figure is likely to be closer to 20,000 victims per
year - but Mr Qadri thinks the figure is probably
hundreds of thousands.
Although prevalent in the Middle East and Asia, it
is a widespread global phenomenon, he says.
The UN describes it as a "growing problem", and
says estimates are difficult because killings are
rarely reported to police, and families often "cover
up" the crime, disguising it as an accident or
suicide.
Shafilea Ahmed was killed in front of her other
siblings by her parents when she was 17
In the UK, figures suggest about 12 such killings
take place each year.
One recent high profile case was that of 17-year-
old Shafilea Ahmed, whose parents were convicted
of suffocating her with a plastic bag. Prosecutors
said her parents believed she had brought
dishonour on the family by wearing Western-style
clothing and mixing with white friends.
How does a family decide to kill?
"In the name of preserving so-called family
honour, women and girls are shot, stoned, burned,
buried alive, strangled, smothered and knifed to
death," said a statement from the UN on
International Women's Day.
Sometimes killings happen spontaneously, but in
other cases they may be formal and organised. A
meeting may be held by male family members and
senior women who decide if a woman should be
killed, and work out the method.
In the latest widely-reported case, Farzana
Parveen, who was three months pregnant, was
pelted with bricks and bludgeoned by relatives
furious because she married against their wishes.
Women mourn over the body of Farzana Parveen
Are people ever convicted?
Most such killings are particularly difficult to prove
or prosecute. There are often no witnesses and
little motivation within the community for police to
pursue suspects.
In Pakistan, conviction rates are very low because
of blood-money laws which allow kin to forgive
perpetrators, usually family members in such
cases.
Even if convicted, men who have taken part may
sometimes receive reduced sentences.
Rukhsana Bibi and her husband Mohammad Yunus
were attacked last May
Rukhsana Bibi claims she survived an attempted
an attack that left her husband dead in Kohistan, a
remote and mountainous region in the northern
part of Pakistan.
She is one of very few women who have spoken
out to seek justice. No-one has been convicted of
the attack.
"Honour killings" should be prosecuted as murder
without exception, says Ms Begum.
Victims' families should receive protection and
sentences should not be reduced where there are
convictions citing violation of honour, she adds.