DAA DIPLOMATIC PAKISTAN
MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2025
UNW
UNITED NATIONS WOMEN
“ Access to Justice for Victims of Honor-Based Violence
| Review laws that enable silence and impunity”
STUDY GUIDE
Prepared by Nayyab Tanveer & Muhammad Basim Mazhar
Designed by Asma Aftab - Deputy Director
Department of Delegate Affairs DAA DPMUN’25
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction To UNW
Introduction To Agenda
Key Definitions
Background to the Topic
Barriers & Challenges
Past UN Actions
QARMA
Bibliography
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Introduction to the United Nations Women
(UNW)
The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN
Women) was established in 2010 by the UN General Assembly to accelerate global
progress on gender equality and to consolidate the UN’s efforts addressing women’s
rights. It was formed through the merger of four pre-existing bodies dedicated to
women’s advancement: the Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW), the
International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women
(INSTRAW), the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of
Women (OSAGI), and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).
This unification created a single, stronger institutional champion to coordinate and
lead the international agenda on women’s empowerment.
UN Women’s establishment reflected a recognition that despite decades of advocacy
and policy commitments, women across the world continued to face entrenched
inequalities in social, political, and economic spheres. The entity works globally and
locally, advocating for the removal of structural barriers that hinder women’s
participation and leadership. It serves as both a norm-setting body—helping
governments and international institutions craft gender-responsive policies—and an
implementation partner that assists states in translating commitments into measurable
action.
The committee’s mission is to create a world where every woman and girl can live free
from violence, discrimination, and poverty, and can participate equally in political,
economic, and social life. Acting as the secretariat for the Commission on the Status of
Women (CSW), UN Women provides expert analysis, supports member states in
legislative reform, and builds partnerships to accelerate the achievement of gender
equality. Its dual-level operation—at the global and country levels—ensures that
international frameworks are both universally applicable and locally relevant.
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Introduction to the Topic
“ Access to Justice for Victims of Honor-Based Violence |
Review laws that enable silence and impunity”
Gender-based violence and systemic discrimination remain pervasive global issues that
violate human rights and hinder sustainable development. Despite international
consensus on the importance of gender equality, millions of women worldwide
continue to face physical, sexual, psychological, and economic violence. The United
Nations estimates that one in three women experiences such violence in her lifetime,
and in many societies, patriarchal norms and cultural taboos continue to normalize
abuse.
The persistence of these injustices is closely linked to weak legal systems and social
stigma, which often prevent victims from accessing justice. Many states have ratified
landmark agreements such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW, 1979) and the Beijing Platform for Action
(1995), yet enforcement gaps remain substantial. Some governments have failed to
translate these international commitments into effective national laws, while others
lack the institutional capacity or political will to implement them fully.
Strengthening legal frameworks is therefore essential to ensure that women can claim
their rights and that perpetrators of violence face accountability. This involves not
only enacting laws but also reforming judicial and law enforcement systems to
eliminate bias, expedite legal processes, and protect survivors. In a broader sense,
addressing gender inequality requires rethinking the economic and social structures
that sustain women’s marginalization, particularly those that intertwine poverty,
exclusion, and violence.
UN Women plays a central role in promoting this agenda by supporting states to
implement gender-responsive legislation, providing technical expertise, and mobilizing
resources for programs that empower women economically and socially. The
organization’s work underscores the idea that gender equality is not merely a women’s
issue but a fundamental condition for peace, justice, and sustainable development.
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Key Definitions
Patriarchal Structures
Social systems in which men dominate positions of power, authority, and decision-
making, often institutionalizing gender hierarchies that normalize the subordination of
women in both public and private spheres.
Institutionalized Discrimination
Systemic inequality that occurs when laws, policies, or institutional practices
intentionally or unintentionally reinforce gender bias and limit women’s rights or
access to opportunities.
Intersectionality
A framework recognizing that individuals may experience multiple and overlapping
forms of discrimination—such as gender, race, class, ethnicity, or disability—that
intensify marginalization and inequality.
Due Diligence Principle
The legal obligation of states to act with reasonable care to prevent, investigate, and
punish acts of violence against women, ensuring that perpetrators are held accountable
under domestic and international law.
Normative Frameworks
Internationally recognized conventions, resolutions, and policy guidelines—such as
CEDAW and the Beijing Platform for Action—that define global standards for gender
equality and women’s rights protection.
Customary Law
Traditional and unwritten legal systems based on cultural or religious practices that
can sometimes conflict with international human rights standards, particularly
concerning women’s rights and autonomy.
Cultural Relativism
The belief that cultural traditions and values should determine what is acceptable
within a society; however, it is often misused to justify discriminatory practices such as
child marriage or gender-based violence.
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Impunity Gap
The failure to prosecute perpetrators of gender-based violence due to weak judicial
systems, corruption, or social bias, leading to widespread denial of justice for victims.
Restorative Justice
An approach to justice that emphasizes healing, victim support, and rehabilitation
rather than punishment alone, focusing on reconciliation between victims, offenders,
and communities.
Transnational Advocacy
Collaborative efforts among states, civil society organizations, and international
networks to promote women’s rights, influence policy reform, and strengthen global
accountability for gender justice.
Honor-Based Violence / Honor Killings
Violence, often lethal, committed to “restore” perceived family or community honour,
typically against women or girls accused of violating social or sexual norms.
Ghairat (“Honor”)
In South Asian and Middle Eastern contexts, a concept tying male reputation to
women’s behaviour, forming the ideological basis for HBV
Background: Current Global Landscape
Gender inequality persists in nearly every society despite progress in women’s
education, representation, and participation. According to UN data, over 370 million
women and girls experience sexual violence before the age of 18, with many cases
unreported or ignored due to stigma and systemic barriers. Weak legal systems,
economic dependency, and discriminatory social norms continue to perpetuate
impunity. In some countries, marital rape remains unrecognized and domestic abuse is
treated as a private issue, reflecting deep-rooted cultural and institutional challenges.
The intersection of poverty and gender inequality further compounds these problems.
Women remain disproportionately represented among the poor, largely due to wage
disparities, limited access to credit, and unequal distribution of unpaid care work.
Conflict and displacement exacerbate vulnerabilities, with sexual violence used as a
tactic of war and instability obstructing access to justice. Despite international
frameworks like CEDAW and the Beijing Platform for Action, enforcement remains
uneven. Achieving meaningful progress requires not just legislation but sustained
funding, institutional reform, and effective accountability mechanisms.
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A critical aspect of gender-based violence that demands specific global attention is
honour-based violence (HBV) — including so-called “honour killings” — a form of
abuse rooted in patriarchal control and cultural concepts of shame. HBV refers to
violence, often lethal, inflicted by family or community members on individuals,
usually women or girls, accused of bringing “dishonour” upon their family or group.
Centreline, Global Citizen, LifeScience Global
Victims are often those who exercise personal autonomy, by choosing their own
partner, rejecting arranged marriage, seeking divorce, or expressing independence
through dress, education, or social media use. Such violence is often legitimized
through patriarchal norms, misinterpretations of religion, and customary systems of
informal justice.
In Pakistan, 520 honour-killing cases were reported in 2022 alone. In Afghanistan, since
the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, women have been systematically excluded from
education, employment, and public life — a state-sanctioned form of gender
persecution that reflects the same logic of controlling women’s behaviour under the
guise of “honour” and “virtue.” Dawn, The Nation, UNAMA Reports
Meanwhile, in India, thousands of “honour killings” have been reported over inter-caste
or interfaith marriages, while so-called “love jihad” narratives have politicized women’s
agency over marriage and religion. In Jordan and Turkey, women have been murdered
for defying family norms, prompting national reforms that now classify honour killings
as aggravated homicide. Across Europe, particularly in the UK, Germany, and Sweden,
migrant communities have witnessed HBV cases that reveal how cultural practices can
persist even in societies with strong gender equality laws.
Across the world, honour-based violence (HBV) persists as one of the most
underreported and culturally entrenched violations of human rights. Despite
international efforts and evolving legal frameworks, thousands of women continue to
face violence justified in the name of “honour.” In Pakistan, between 2016 and 2022,
media reports documented approximately 8,312 cases of honour killings, with over 85%
of victims being women. These figures, drawn from PubMed Central, highlight only
the reported incidents, while countless others go unrecorded due to family complicity
and weak law enforcement.
In Afghanistan, HBV takes particularly severe forms under the Taliban regime,
manifesting through forced marriages, public stoning, and the systematic denial of
education and employment to women accused of “immoral acts.” The 2023 UNAMA
Report classifies these restrictions as institutionalized honour-based persecution,
where the state itself acts as the enforcer of patriarchal control. Similarly, in India, the
National Crime Records Bureau registered 145 cases of honour killings in 2021, but
NGOs estimate the true number to exceed 1,000 annually. Many of these crimes are
linked to caste-based social structures and community councils (khap panchayats) that
sanction violence against inter-caste or self-chosen marriages.
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In the Middle East, legal reforms in Kurdistan (Iraq) and Jordan have tightened
penalties against honour crimes, yet loopholes remain in the form of “mitigating
circumstances” clauses that allow male perpetrators to receive reduced sentences if the
act is deemed to have been committed to protect family honour. Human Rights Watch
continues to emphasize the need for judicial reform and social education in these
regions.
Europe, too, is not exempt. In the United Kingdom, the tragic cases of Banaz Mahmod
(2006) and Shafilea Ahmed (2003) — both young women of migrant backgrounds
murdered by their families for rejecting abusive marriages — prompted nationwide
reforms. Their stories led to the establishment of specialized HBV police units and
training under the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), embedding honour-based crimes
within domestic violence policy frameworks. Similarly, in Sweden and Germany, a rise
in HBV-related crimes among migrant families has sparked debate over how to design
culturally informed protection systems that safeguard women without stigmatizing
entire communities.
Across the world, honour-based violence (HBV) persists as one of the most
underreported and culturally entrenched violations of human rights. Despite
international efforts and evolving legal frameworks, Collectively, these global examples
make clear that honour-based violence transcends geography, religion, and culture. It is
a universal gendered crime, rooted in patriarchal control and social shame, requiring
an integrated global response that combines legal reform, education, community
engagement, and survivor protection.
Barriers & Challenges
The most persistent barriers to gender equality arise from entrenched patriarchal
norms that normalize male dominance in social and political life. Institutional
discrimination remains embedded within judicial, policing, and administrative
systems, perpetuating bias and unequal treatment. Cultural relativism often conflicts
with universal human rights, as some societies invoke tradition to justify harmful
practices such as child marriage or female genital mutilation. This tension between
cultural norms and international law complicates global advocacy and policy
enforcement.
Even where strong legislation exists, enforcement is frequently undermined by
corruption, lack of training, and insufficient coordination among law enforcement,
judiciary, and social services. Limited institutional capacity, underfunded gender
programs, and a lack of data-driven policy implementation continue to hinder
progress. Addressing these challenges requires coordinated global efforts, improved
monitoring, and dedicated investment in gender equality mechanisms.
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Honour-based violence (HBV) persists because it is deeply intertwined with a complex
web of cultural, legal, and institutional barriers that reinforce one another across
societies. At the heart of the issue lie entrenched cultural and social norms that equate
women’s autonomy with family dishonour. In many patriarchal communities, a
woman’s choices regarding marriage, education, dress, or social behaviour are seen as
reflections of her family’s moral standing. Acts of independence — such as choosing
one’s partner or seeking divorce — can thus provoke violent retribution framed as a
restoration of honour. These beliefs, passed down through generations, continue to
legitimize violence and shape the moral code of entire communities, particularly in
regions where gender inequality is normalized and male guardianship remains the
social default.
Adding to this complexity is the religious misinterpretation of honour-related
concepts. While no major faith condones murder, perpetrators often manipulate
religious or cultural rhetoric to justify violence, blurring the lines between cultural
practice and faith. In some societies, traditional or extremist readings of religion have
been used to defend HBV as a matter of divine or moral order, which obstructs both
legal accountability and public condemnation. Scholars and rights groups emphasize
that such violence stems not from religious doctrine but from patriarchal control
masked in moral language, a distinction that remains underemphasized in many local
discourses.
Customary and tribal systems further perpetuate this problem by undermining formal
legal frameworks. In rural areas of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and northern India, informal
councils such as jirgas or panchayats continue to pass verdicts on cases involving so-
called “dishonour,” often endorsing punishments or killings outside the formal justice
system. These bodies operate under the pretext of maintaining communal order, but
their influence often overrides national laws, especially in areas where the state’s
judicial presence is weak. As a result, perpetrators benefit from community protection
and collective silence, making justice for victims almost impossible.
The legal landscape itself often compounds the crisis through loopholes and lenient
provisions. In Pakistan, for example, clauses in the Qisas and Diyat laws allow families
to “forgive” perpetrators — who are frequently relatives of the victim — thus
neutralizing the state’s role in prosecution. Similar leniencies once existed in parts of
the Middle East, where honour killings were treated as crimes of passion rather than
premeditated murder. Although some of these laws have been amended, their lingering
cultural acceptance still deters consistent enforcement. Weak investigation procedures,
lack of evidence collection, and inadequate witness protection further enable impunity,
allowing honour crimes to go unpunished or misclassified as suicides or accidental
deaths.
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The barriers faced by victims and survivors are equally severe. Women threatened with
honour-related violence rarely report abuse due to fear of retaliation from family or
community members, coupled with widespread distrust of law enforcement. In many
cases, police officers themselves treat HBV as a private or family matter rather than a
state crime, discouraging victims from seeking help. The absence of shelters, legal aid,
and psychological support further isolates survivors, while community ostracism and
stigma ensure their silence.
Another emerging dimension is the urban migration and transnational spread of
conservative norms. As families move from rural areas to cities — or even abroad —
patriarchal attitudes toward honour often persist, adapting to new social contexts. In
South Asia’s urban centers and among diaspora communities in Europe and the Middle
East, cases of honour killings and forced marriages demonstrate that these practices are
not geographically confined but socially sustained through community networks and
expectations.
Finally, data and reporting gaps severely limit understanding and policy response.
Honour crimes are chronically underreported, misclassified, or concealed by families
and local authorities. Even where laws exist, the absence of disaggregated and reliable
data obscures the true magnitude of the problem, hindering effective policymaking and
international advocacy. The result is a cycle of silence — a structural failure where
cultural, institutional, and systemic factors align to protect perpetrators while
marginalizing victims, allowing honour-based violence to remain one of the most
persistent and least prosecuted forms of gender-based violence in the world.
Past UN Actions, Resolutions & International Treaties &
Conventions related to the topic
CEDAW (1979)
Obligates states to eliminate discrimination and violence against women in all forms,
including cultural practices that endanger women’s lives. Under Articles 2 and 5, state
parties are required to reform discriminatory laws and challenge social and cultural
patterns that reinforce gender stereotypes. CEDAW’s Committee has repeatedly urged
countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Jordan to address honour crimes through
stricter enforcement, public awareness campaigns, and protection mechanisms for
survivors.
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Beijing Platform for Action (1995)
Recognizes honour-based violence as a violation of women’s human rights and calls for
the elimination of gender-based violence in both public and private life. It urges
governments to enact and enforce laws against HBV, provide accessible legal and
medical support for survivors, and engage community and religious leaders to change
harmful cultural attitudes. The Platform remains a global reference for national action
plans on women’s rights.
UN General Assembly Resolution 55/66 (2000)
Explicitly condemns crimes committed in the name of “honour” and calls upon
member states to exercise due diligence in preventing, investigating, and prosecuting
such crimes. The resolution stresses that no cultural, traditional, or religious
considerations can justify acts of HBV. It also encourages the collection of
disaggregated data and the sharing of best practices across member states to track
progress.
ESCWA (2013 Report)
Defines HBV as a major barrier to gender equality in the Arab world, highlighting that
lenient sentencing and social acceptance continue to perpetuate the issue. The report
calls for comprehensive legal reforms, gender-sensitive policing, and educational
initiatives to dismantle the social constructs of “honour.” It also encourages
collaboration with Islamic scholars to clarify that honour killings contradict both
human rights and religious teachings.
UNAMA (Afghanistan) and OHCHR Reports
Document the systemic persecution of women under the Taliban as a state-level form
of HBV. These reports outline how restrictions on women’s education, employment,
and movement—along with forced marriages and public floggings—constitute
institutionalized gender violence justified under the rhetoric of protecting “honour”
and morality. They call for international accountability mechanisms to address these
abuses under international human rights law.
SAARC Convention on Preventing and Combating Trafficking and Violence Against Women
and Children (2002)
Represents a collective South Asian commitment to tackle gender-based crimes
through regional cooperation. It obliges member states to criminalize all forms of
violence against women, including honour crimes, and to strengthen cross-border
collaboration in law enforcement, victim rehabilitation, and data sharing. However,
limited implementation and lack of a robust monitoring framework have hindered its
effectiveness.
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Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention (2011)
The strongest international treaty addressing gender-based violence, ratified by 37
states. It defines violence against women—including honour crimes—as both a human
rights violation and a form of discrimination. The Convention requires states to ensure
that motives such as “honour” cannot be used to justify or mitigate violence. It
mandates the establishment of specialized shelters, hotlines, and training programs for
police and judiciary to ensure gender-sensitive responses. Countries like Turkey
(before its withdrawal in 2021) and France have used it to reform criminal laws and
expand victim support systems.
Pakistan’s Anti-Honour Killing Bill (2016)
Closed a major loophole in Pakistan’s Penal Code that allowed perpetrators of honour
killings to evade punishment through family forgiveness (under Qisas and Diyat). The
amendment made honour killings a non-compoundable offence, meaning the state
must pursue prosecution even if the victim’s family pardons the killer. However,
challenges persist in enforcement—especially in rural areas—where police often fail to
classify cases as HBV or face local pressure to drop investigations.
Jordan’s Penal Code Amendment (2017)
Abolished Article 340, which had previously allowed reduced sentences for men who
killed female relatives caught in “illicit” acts. The amendment also restricted judges’
ability to issue lenient sentences in HBV cases and mandated equal legal protection for
women and men. Despite this progress, cultural resistance remains a barrier, as social
stigma often discourages families from pursuing justice.
Turkey’s Penal Reform (2005)
Strengthened criminal laws by removing “honour” and “custom” as mitigating
circumstances in murder cases. Perpetrators of honour killings now face life
imprisonment, and legal responsibility has been extended to family members who aid
or conceal such crimes. The reform also introduced specialized courts and training for
law enforcement to handle gender-based crimes. Nonetheless, implementation remains
uneven, particularly in conservative provinces where patriarchal norms persist.
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QARMA (Questions a Resolution Must Answer)
How can international laws be strengthened to ensure justice and end impunity for violence
against women?
What frameworks ensure protection for marginalized women, especially in conflict or post-
conflict situations?
In what ways can international human rights mechanisms (e.g., CEDAW, Universal Periodic
Review, UN Women) be leveraged to ensure compliance and monitoring of anti-HBV
commitments by states?
Should there be a standardized UN protocol for classifying, reporting, and investigating honour
killings, and how can states be supported in adopting such procedures?
How can judicial systems become more gender-sensitive and independent?
What role can non-state actors (NGOs, media, civil society) play in promoting justice and
awareness?
What collaborative mechanisms can be introduced at regional levels (e.g., SAARC, OIC,
African Union, EU) to share best practices, coordinate prevention strategies, and mobilize
resources against HBV?
In what ways can global and regional organizations enhance funding and capacity-building for
grassroots women’s rights organizations leading anti-HBV initiatives?
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BIBLIOGRAPHY &
KEY RESOURCES
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[Link]
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United Nations. (1995). Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Fourth World
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[Link]
Council of Europe. (2011). Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating
Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention). Available at:
[Link]
African Union. (2003). Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on
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BBC India. (2010). India court condemns 'honour killings' as barbaric. Retrieved from
[Link]
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Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), United Kingdom. (2022). Honour-based abuse and forced
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