Īlthough condemned by international conventions and human rights organizations, honor killings are often justified and encouraged by various communities. Honor killings are often associated with rural and tribal areas, but they occur in urban areas too. Honor killings are believed to have originated from tribal customs. 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. Honor killings are often connected to religion, caste and other forms of hierarchical social stratification, or to sexuality.
For the film, see Honour Killing (film).Īn honor killing ( American English), honour killing ( Commonwealth English), or shame 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.
