Honour Killing Across Culture and Time: Keynote Address, Crimes of Honor and International Law

Dr Marsha A. Freeman gives a keynote address at The Australian National University conference, 'Honour Killing Across Culture and Time' in December 2011. Her talk is titled 'Crimes of Honor and International Law'.

The definition of honor crime as a human rights violation is a relatively recent development, attributable to the efforts of both nongovernmental advocates and United Nations entities. First mentioned in the work of the (now defunct) Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Promotion of Human Rights, it is grounded in the international recognition of violence against women as a human rights issue. The UN Committee on Discrimination against Women included reference to honor crime in its ground-breaking 1992 General Recommendation No 19 on Violence against Women, and the Committee first referred to a State party's obligation to deal with it in its 1997 review of Turkey. Since then various UN human rights mechanisms, the Secretary-General, and the High Commissioner for Human Rights have all alluded to honor crime as a fundamental violation of women's human rights. However, it has become clear that, as with all matters relating to discrimination against women, legal processes alone will not eradicate it, and a multitude of complementary approaches must engage entire cultures in a shift away from valuing honor above life.

Dr Marsha A. Freeman is Director, International Women's Rights Action Watch (IWRAW); Senior Fellow, University of Minnesota Human Rights Center, and Adjunct Professor, University of Minnesota Law School. Freeman is an expert on the technical interpretation, procedures, and practical application of the CEDAW Convention. She works closely with human rights treaty bodies and agencies to assist in monitoring government obligations and to formulate policy on international legal standards regarding women's human rights. She is co-editor of the CEDAW Commentary, published in 2011 by Oxford University Press.