Honour-based violence
Honour-based violence violates individuals' fundamental rights and dignity. It is a form of violence rooted in cultural or traditional beliefs, where individuals, primarily women, face harm or even death for perceived violations of honour or cultural norms.
Various abusive practices, including forced marriages, female genital mutilation, and physical or psychological abuse, characterise honour-based violence. Involving control, coercion, and other mental, physical, sexual, or religious violent acts perpetrated by family or community members.
Underlying is the idea that the person subjected to violence has violated the family honour and/or community standards of conduct or suspicion of this. Through acts of violence, perpetrators think they are protecting or restoring their and the family’s honour, so others perceive them as a reputable family.
Due to this, violence and control may seem justified to both the perpetrators and the victim, even if it seriously violates the dignity and human rights of those experiencing violence. There are often many factors. Sometimes, the whole family or community can apply pressure and control.
The most significant factor in the emergence of conflicts and violent solutions is each family’s specific ways of functioning and resolving disputes, relationships with surrounding communities and broader society, and other family life histories and stressors.
- Preventing the independence of young people, putting pressure on a marriage, and controlling socialising
- An absolute requirement of chastity
- Forced marriage
- Violence and control in a relationship, or fear of
- Community persecution after separation
- Isolation from the community, damage to the reputation
- Female genital mutilation (FGM)
- Many other forms of mental, physical, economic, and sexual violence
Recognising and addressing honour-based, spiritual or religious violence is crucial to safeguarding individuals' rights, fostering religious freedom, and promoting harmonious coexistence among diverse communities.
It requires a comprehensive approach involving raising awareness, supporting survivors, engaging communities, and implementing legal measures to ensure accountability and protection. Challenging and changing the underlying beliefs, attitudes, and social structures perpetuating this form of violence is crucial.
Support for Victims of Religions (also known as UUT by its acronym in Finnish) is an organisation which provides support for people who have faced various kinds of problems and abuses in religious groups.
Ihmiskauppa.fi assists people who are under threat or forced into marriage. You can contact helpers to talk about your situation and to find out how you can be helped. All information about you and your case will be kept secret and handled in strict confidence. Contacting will not bind you to anything.
Also Crime Victim Support Finland (RIKU) provides help.
By promoting gender equality, empowering individuals to make choices about their lives, and fostering inclusive and respectful societies, we can work towards eradicating honour-based violence and creating a world where every person can live free from fear and violence, irrespective of cultural or traditional norms.
