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Honour Crime: from Indignation to Action

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Honour Crime: from Indignation to Action Conseil du statut de la Opinion Honour crime: from indignation to action 1 Conseil du statut de la Opinion Honour crime: from indignation to action December 2013 The Conseil du statut de la femme is a consultation and research body that since 1973 has worked to promote and defend the rights and interests of Québec women. It advises the Minister and the Government on any subject related to equality and the respect of the rights and status of women. The members’ assembly of the Conseil is composed of the President and ten women drawn from women’s associations, university circles, socio-economic groups and unions. This opinion was adopted by the members of the Conseil du statut de la femme on September 27, 2013. Members of the Conseil Julie Miville-Dechêne, Presidente Rakia Laouri Geneviève Baril Julie Latour Élise-Ariane Cabirol Leila Lesbet Catherine des Rivières-Pigeon Ann Longchamps Francyne Ducharme Lucie Martineau Carole Gingras Research and Writing Yolande Geadah Research Collaboration Julie Miville-Dechêne Mariama Ali-Diabacte Coordination of Research and Writing Isabelle Desbiens Translation Rod Willmot Documentary Research Julie Limoges Publishing Coordination Sébastien Boulanger Graphic Design and Layout Guylaine Grenier The complete version of this opinion, including the list of people interviewed or consulted, the profile of the immigrant women interviewed and the discussion guide used, is also available on the website of the Conseil: www.placealegalite.gouv.qc.ca Date of Publication December 2013 Requests for total or partial reproduction should be directed to the Government of Québec’s Service de la gestion du droit d’auteur at the following address: [email protected] Publisher Conseil du statut de la femme 800, place D’Youville, 3e étage Québec (Québec) G1R 6E2 Telephone: 418 643-4326 Toll-free: 1 800 463-2851 Fax: 418 643-8926 www.placealegalite.gouv.qc.ca Legal Deposit 100 % Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, 2013 ISBN: 978-2-550-69099-3 (printed French version) This document was printed on 100% recycled paper, 978-2-550-69098-6 (electronic French version) containing 100% post-consumption fiber and produced © Government of Québec without chlorine. Table des matières FOREWORD . 9 INTRODUCTION ..........................................................11 Part 1 THE PROBLEM OF HONOUR-BASED VIOLENCE.................................15 CHAPTER 1 Issues related to honour crimes ............................................... 17 1.1 Definition and controversy . 17 1.2 Between racism and cultural relativism . 19 1.3 The necessary distinction between honour crime and family violence . 21 CHAPTER 2 The concept of honour and its social function .................................. 23 2.1 Honour in different cultures . 23 2.2 Is there a connection between honour crime and certain interpretations of Islam? .. 24 2.3 Honour and social status.............................................. 30 2.4 Moral justifications and social pressures .................................. 34 2.5 Contributing factors ................................................. 40 2.6 Arranged marriage and forced marriage .................................. 41 Part 2 HONOUR IN THE CONTEXT OF IMMIGRATION . 45 CHAPTER 3 Perceptions and practices around honour ...................................... 47 3.1 Context .......................................................... 47 3.2 Profile and characteristics of respondents . 49 3.3 Sense of honour .................................................... 50 3.4 Socialization of the concept of honour . 52 3.5 Degree of influence on respondents’ lives ................................. 55 CHAPTER 4 Honour crimes in Canada: case studies......................................... 69 4.1 Findings and characteristics of crimes recorded ............................. 70 4.2 Analysis of the principal underlying motives . 72 4.3 Case study: the Shafia affair ........................................... 87 Part 3 PROSPECTS FOR ACTION . 93 CHAPTER 5 Canadian initiatives......................................................... 95 5.1 Institutional initiatives ................................................ 95 5.2 Legislative initiatives . 111 5.3 Community initiatives ............................................... 113 CHAPTER 6 The British model.......................................................... 115 6.1 Context ......................................................... 115 6.2 The catalyst . 115 6.3 Institutions and public policies . 117 6.4 Legislative initiatives . 129 6.5 Community initiatives ............................................... 132 CHAPTER 7 Conclusion and avenues for action ........................................... 139 7.1 Canada’s international obligations ..................................... 139 7.2 A few strategies and ethical guidelines .................................. 141 BIBLIOGRAPHIE . 147 Abbreviations and Acronyms ACPO Association of Chief Police Officers BBC British Broadcasting Corporation CBC Canadian Broadcasting Corporation CDPDJ Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse CIC Citizenship and Immigration Canada CSP Community Safety Partnership CSSS Centre de santé et de services sociaux DPJ Direction de la protection de la jeunesse FGM Female genital mutilation FMU Forced Marriage Unit HBV Honour-based violence HRCP Human Rights Commission of Pakistan ICAHK International Campaign Against Honour Killings IKWRO Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organization KMEWO Kurdish and Middle Eastern Women’s Organization MARAC Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference MSSS Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux NGO Non governmental organization NSPCC National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children SBS Southall Black Sisters SOGC Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada SPVM Service de police de la Ville de Montréal UN United Nations 7 Foreword Over the last two decades, Western countries have come face to face with the reality of honour crime1. In 2009, Québec was shaken by a quadruple honour killing, that of the three Shafia sisters and their father’s first wife. Though certainly not the first such crime committed in Canada, it was the catalyst for a public realization that such things were happening and must not be ignored. Months before the murder, social workers knew about the girls and the oppression they were under. This raised questions about the ability of our institutions to protect the vulnerable. In November 2011, the Conseil du statut de la femme was given a mandate by the Minister responsible for the Status of Women to produce an opinion on violence committed in the name of honour. The aim was to document the scope of the problem, examine attempts in Canada and abroad to counter such violence, and make recommendations on the basis of best practices. The Conseil therefore set out to understand the context behind honour-based violence, and to explore potential avenues for action. The Conseil is well aware that this is a sensitive topic. Especially in the context of immigration, there is a risk of stigmatizing the communities concerned. But honour-based violence affects many communities, of different cultures and different religions, and to have any hope of ending it we must hold the subject to the light. Honour-based violence cannot be ignored, but the subject requires care, respect for those who are affected by it. A superior or disparaging attitude would be counter-productive, fuelling racism in some quarters while provoking defensive reactions in the communities concerned. As we will see, the concept of honour as being inextricably linked to women’s sexuality is not exclusive to non-Western cultures. In Québec as elsewhere it used to be that unwed mothers were ostracized. They had to hide their pregnancy, were forced to abandon their child unless they married an older man who would pretend to be the father in order to save the family honor. However, this ostracism did not go as far as murder. To this day, thousands of women are abused or murdered by jealous spouses. In the West, the rights and freedoms of women are almost taken for granted now, but getting there took decades of struggle by feminists, and the achievement is in fact quite recent. The Conseil considers that women in cultural minorities are an integral part of our society, that they deserve the same respect for their rights and dignity as every other citizen. Respecting cultural diversity cannot mean condoning practices that are discriminatory or harmful to women, even when supported by culture and religion. The fight against violence against women, in all 1 There is controversy over the use of the term “honour crime”. Some authors place it in quotation marks, or write “so-called honour crimes”, to make explicit their rejection of the idea that “honour” can possibly justify such crimes. Like other authors however, and since we obviously share that rejection, we have chosen to use the first term without quotation marks, for the sake of readability. 9 its forms, concerns each one of us, for this is about our collective future. Ignoring the issue of honour crime because it is sensitive, because it is challenging, would be irresponsible and unworthy of a pluralistic, egalitarian and democratic society that intends to stay that way. Methodology This opinion is based on a rich combination of analysis and experience, including: a synthesis of recent studies on honour crime; testimony from Québec women whose lives have been affected by the concept of honour;
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