Gender Based Violence: Honour Killings

Honor killings are acts of vengeance, committed by male family members against female family members, who are held to have brought dishonor upon the family. A woman can be targeted by (individuals within) 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. The mere perception that a woman has behaved in a way that "dishonors" her family is sufficient to trigger an attack on her life. The authors through this article wish to narrate the injustices done by the Khap Panchayats in the villages. It discusses all inconsistencies which make the problem of honour killing extremely challenging to control.