Women in Arab countries have become
increasingly visible in demonstrations for democracy, especially in
Egypt and Tunisia. However, they still face several hurdles, many of
which were discussed at a recent training program in Stockholm for
opinion makers from the Middle East and North Africa. As a journalist
from Cairo, I had the opportunity to get to know different people from
the rest of the Middle East, as well as Sweden, to understand what women
experience in different contexts.
One of the most important issues women face are so-called “honour”
killings. Across the world, too many women are murdered by their male
relatives, because they have “dishonoured” their families by engaging in
“unacceptable” relationships.
Although having a sexual relationship outside of marriage is what
usually comes to mind, causing “dishonour” may also include marrying a
man from different religion or sect, or even a husband the family simply
doesn’t accept.
Sadly, “honour” crimes continue, primarily because of the absence of
effective regulation and the lack of implementation of existing laws, in
addition to negative attitudes towards women.
But slowly, governments are doing something about it.
According to the Ma’an News Agency, Palestinian Authority President
Mahmoud Abbas ordered an amendment to the existing “honour killing law”
in May, which states that perpetrators of crimes “in defence of family
honour” should no longer receive lenient sentences. This decision came
after the Ma’an News Agency highlighted the case of Ayah Barad’iyya, a
20-year-old woman from Hebron who was drowned by her uncle because he
disagreed with her about the man she had chosen to marry.
Earlier, in 2009, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad issued a decree to
amend the Syrian Penal Code with an article that confers a more severe
sentence for “honour” crimes than before.
Article 548 of the Syrian Penal Code previously stated that anyone
who commits an “honour killing” could claim mitigating circumstances and
receive a reduced sentence. The new article, however, clearly states
that murder in the name of “family honour” would result in a sentence of
no less than two years. Article 548 was amended again in January 2011
to increase the penalty from two years to five to seven years.
However, Bassam El-Kady, the director of the Syrian Women Observatory
(SWO), one of Syria’s main women’s rights organizations, said that the
“article should be cancelled, not amended”, echoing sentiments of many
women’s rights activists who believe the sentence isn’t harsh enough.
Individuals and organizations are also working to end these crimes.
Breaking the silence around the act is one of their most important
tools.
One of these efforts is Murder in the Name of Honor, a book
written by the Jordanian journalist and activist Rana Al-Husseini in
2009 to raise awareness of the brutality of these killings. The book
chronicles Al-Husseini’s 15-year journey to uncover stories of violence
against women and draw attention to the fact that this is a global
epidemic, not something that only happens in Arab or Muslim communities.
In Egypt, the Center for Egyptian Women’s Legal Assistance (CEWLA)
started a project four years ago, focusing on four governorates in Upper
Egypt. The group uses different activities and media programmes on
local radio and television channels to break the taboo around discussing
crimes of “honour” by allowing those listening to the shows to call and
ask questions or share their stories.
A Facebook group, “No Honor in Crime” also works to raise awareness
about the issue and talks about positive steps taken to combat “honour”
crimes.
The Jordan-based group, which reaches out to Arab activists in all
countries, decided not to focus on honour and human rights, but instead
on debating “honour” as a concept.
By creating spaces where “honour” was discussed as a concept,
participants had to subject their current understandings of honour to
logic and reason, and therefore had to take a more critical attitude to
the issue. The mission of the group therefore became a “society-wide
conversation to reclaim honour”.
But another factor in women’s lives might actually have the greatest
impact. According to the September 2005 Population Reference Bureau
Report, Arab women now have similar or higher levels of education
compared with their husbands, especially in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and
Palestine. Women are fast becoming more educated, and information is an
important source of empowerment, as education will offer women more
opportunities to work and become financially independent. In a few
years, this could result in more women speaking up for laws that protect
their rights – and countries instituting more policies that show they
are listening to women.
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