 "Yasmin Javed holds a photo of her daughter Fawziyah, who was killed by Fawziyah’s husband in an act of honour-based violence Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo: Sam Tabahriti/Reuters)")
The British government has announced the introduction of a clearer definition of ‘honour’-based abuse in the country that overwhelmingly target females.
The so-called honour-based abuse refers to the abuse inflicted on a person to keep the honour of the family or the community. Incidents range from domestic abuse to violence ranging from assaults to murder. Such incidents are largely reported in South and West Asian immigrant communities.
British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has dubbed plans in the motion, including sensitisation training for police and community workers, as a crucial step in the Labour Party’s government’s mission to halve the number of crimes against women and girls.
Cooper said, “All forms of ‘honour’-based abuse are devastating crimes that can shatter lives. There is no ‘honour’ in them. For too long, these offences have often been misunderstood by professionals, resulting in victims not getting the support they deserve.
“Today we are announcing measures to put an end to this and shining a light on this debilitating abuse. This marks a crucial step in this government’s landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls within a decade. That’s why it’s so important that policing works closely with other agencies to identify abuse and protect victims at the earliest opportunity.”
As part of the efforts, teachers, police officers, social workers, and healthcare workers will receive training to spot the signs of honour-based abuse and better support victims, and an awareness-raising campaign will encourage victims to come forward, according to Guardian.
Impact Shorts
View AllHonour-based abuse in UK in numbers
During March 2023-24, 2,755 cases of honour-based abuse were reported by police in England and Wales, according to the British Home Office.
Currently, the Crown Prosecution Service (CWS) has the following definition for honour-based abuse: an incident or crime involving violence, threats of violence, intimidation, coercion or abuse (including psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional abuse) which has or may have been committed to protect or defend the honour of an individual, family and/or community for alleged or perceived breaches of the family and/or community’s code of behaviour.
The incidents of honour-based violence have ranged from controlling and coercive behaviour to kidnapping and rape. See the chart below.
The figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland were not available.