The UAE Government Is All Set To Impose Harsher Sentences For Honour Killing Of Women. We Hope This Update Is Not Only On Paper

As much as we complain about the condition of women in India, we still have it better than a lot of countries. We can drive, work, vote, dress the way we like (well, to an extent) and we don’t need a man chaperoning us everywhere. It’s not until you go into detail that you see just how badly patriarchy has messed us up. However, compared to a lot of countries our lives are a cakewalk. Look at the Middle-East, for instance. Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Israel even women in the UAE are oppressed to an extent that to them women’s rights and gender equality are only terms that are thrown around once every few years. However, today I have some good news. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has tightened the laws and penalties around the honour killing of women by family members. 

You see, the UAE government said it would do away with a law that allowed judges to grant lenient sentences to people who are accused of honour killing. This usually involves the killing of women perceived to have brought dishonour upon the family. The UAE government said that such crimes will be treated as murder from now on. This comes as part of an overhaul of the country’s Islamic laws. And even though this is fantastic news, does it scare anyone else that up until now honour killing in the UAE was not treated as murder and the accused were given lenient and easy sentences? 

Also Read: The UAE Introduced Equal Pay For Men And Women Working In The Private Sector. When Will We Get There?

UAE legal reform sees tougher penalties for family killings of women https://t.co/T5AOkhaQkK

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) November 7, 2020

Now, we know that honour killing is a very serious problem all around the world. Just a few months ago, a case from Iran where a father beheaded his daughter for planning to run away with her boyfriend, shocked the world. But the fact that the UAE is taking this problem into consideration and tightening the laws around this type of killing is a step forward. The UAE government imposing stricter sentences on those accused of honour killing shows its commitment to protecting the rights of women. 

This amendment to the country’s legal code was one of a package of reforms approved by President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Saturday. By giving harsher sentences to those who are accused of honour killing, the country will be able to move towards a brighter future for women. 

However, I can’t help but wonder if this amendment will actually be enforced or is just another law that exists only on paper?  I really hope it’s not the latter because women and girls are marginalized, violated, raped and of course, murdered on the daily. A strict law like this, that is actually in play, is a necessity.

https://thehauterfly.com/lifestyle/in-a-shocking-case-of-honour-killing-a-man-in-iran-beheaded-his-daughter-he-did-this-after-he-consulted-a-lawyer-about-the-punishment/