Honor Crimes in Jordan: Between Legislation and Women’s Experience

Click here to download our research report on honor crimes in Jordan.

Honor killings have been at the forefront in Jordan since the end of the 20th century. Their media coverage has allowed for the evolution and debate of the place of women in Jordanian society. The issue of honor killings has indeed become part of a broader debate, mixing national identity, the weight of foreign political powers, the cleavage of society, royal political strategy and women’s experience. As a starting point for the Jordanian legislation, we looked at Jordanian society and women’s activism. Although strongly linked to the laws of a country, the struggle for women’s rights cannot be summed up in them. It must be anchored in a broader socio-political context. Therefore, a change in laws in favor of gender equality cannot be satisfactory if it is not followed by an evolution in socio-cultural practices. Legislative changes must be accompanied by a national debate on the place accorded to women and, above all, must consider their demands in the plurality of their situations. Women’s activism must be national and specific to Jordan. It must take into account Jordanian specificities; an international feminism would cause more harm to the cause of women than it would help. Indeed, international pressure to change the place of women in Jordan, as well as the modification of Jordanian activist agendas through grants alone for actions in line with the agendas of Western NGOs, only reinforces the existing mistrust within the country. Finally, the struggle for gender equality goes hand in hand with the democratization of the political apparatus. A fair electoral system, a political weight of civil society and media freedom would only be beneficial in achieving gender equality. It must therefore be anchored in a movement for global equality: economic, social and tribal.

Feature image taken from www.thevox.com.