Honour-based violence in ethnic communities in England and Wales

This PhD is an investigation of honour-based violence (HBV) in England and Wales. It examines the experiences of participants who have faced HBV amidst allegations of staining their families’ reputation. Through multiple frameworks, it addresses important questions that are unanswered in the existing literature: (a) Is HBV a form of domestic violence or is it something distinct? (b) Is ‘patriarchy’ useful to explain acts of HBV perpetrated by women upon other women? (c) What are the recommended methods of intervention and are current methods fit for purpose? The lack of literature and empirical studies on HBV required a qualitative research design to obtain the data to address these questions. The purpose was to acquire an understanding of the processes leading to HBV. Qualitative interviews with thirty key agents and eight survivors were undertaken. The key agents interviewed were professionals who actively assist women to escape abuse and include support workers, police and lawyers. The eight survivors were all female and South Asian in origin. All of the participants were either born or residing in England and Wales at the time of interviews. The key findings reveal that HBV is committed within a domestic violence context, although one survivor’s experience demonstrated violence committed by extended family and community members. This suggests that, on some occasions, HBV may demonstrate qualities different to domestic violence and may therefore be potentially distinct. Survivors were controlled and forced into conforming to patriarchal notions to preserve male ‘honour’ and this was sometimes the case for women who were complicit and coerced by men to perform abusive acts against other women. The findings also reveal that existing methods of intervention are flawed and that inconsistent approaches by state agencies can sometimes endanger women. The evidence requires state agencies to re-evaluate their approach to HBV because they are not meeting the needs of women. Participants recommended community-based initiatives as a form of intervention to promote women’s human rights and to assist in breaking down patriarchal norms that serve to disempower all women. However, they also recognised the challenges of addressing HBV, both within a climate of austerity and with the demonisation of South Asian culture in general.