Speech
Swedish side event at the UN Commission on the Status of Women, New York 27 February 2007
Nyamko Sabuni, Minister for Integration and Gender Equality

Understanding and combating violence in the name of honour - Government commitments and the need for further action

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear friends,

It's a great honour to be on this panel together with such esteemed experts.

Respect for democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms are essential and universal values that must be realised and defended all over the world. Gender equality is an integral part of democracy and absolutely central to sustainable development. Each girl and boy has equal rights and every single one of them deserve respect. The empowerment of girls and women is fundamental to meeting the challenges that face the realisation of these universal values.

Sweden is pleased to see that strengthening gender mainstreaming, the promotion of gender equality, and the empowerment of girls and women are key issues of the ongoing reform work in the UN system. As many of you know, in December last year, the General Assembly adopted an important action-oriented resolution on the intensification of efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women.

Today, in light of the priority theme at the 51st session of the CSW, I would like to take the opportunity to focus on one of my main priorities as Minister for Gender Equality. This is violence in the name of honour and other customs and practices that discriminate against and are harmful to girls and women.

Honour, in this context, is based upon the idea that a family's or community's honour depends on the conduct of its female members. This leads to strict control and limits the lives of girls and women. In the most devastating cases it can end in extreme and fatal violence.

Violence against women is not limited to specific countries and regions, but is a world-wide problem. Nevertheless, violence against women is sometimes rooted in local cultural habits and beliefs, such as the notion that girls and women are the bearer of men's or families' honour. It is sometimes also related to religious doctrines, including doctrines about the position of women in society. And it is often the case that a clash between on the one hand a traditional way of life and on the other hand urbanisation and migration worsens the problem.

This does not, however, mean that culture or religion is responsible for the violence. The perpetrator is always responsible. Cultural mores and religious teachings can be interpreted and applied in different ways.

All forms of violence against girls and women, including violence in the name of honor, constitute criminal offences. States have an obligation to exercise due diligence to prevent and to investigate such crimes, and to ensure that the perpetrators do not enjoy impunity. States also have an obligation to provide protection for the victims. Not doing so is a violation of human rights.

All people regardless of sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, disability or cultural and religious traditions are of equal value, and must be able to enjoy human rights. All people should have equal opportunities in all areas of society.

When girls and women live in the fear of violence, are restricted from setting the standards of their own lives and prevented from developing into free and independent adults, it is impossible for them to fully enjoy human rights.

Ten years ago, honour related violence and oppression was not recognized as an issue on the political agenda in Sweden. Today it is a question that concerns and involves all parts of society.

We don't have exact figures on how extensive the problem is in our country. A study is being carried out that we hope will give us detailed information on the extent to which young people are able to decide for themselves who their friends will be when and whom they will choose as their partners, parental control, etc. This survey will be completed at the end of March this year.

While girls and young women constitute the majority of the victims, crimes in the name of honour also affect boys and men, both as victims and in situations when they are forced to uphold cultural notions of honour against their own will and convictions.

We know too that gay, lesbian and bisexual people are also exposed to honour-related violence and other crimes.

The Swedish Government prioritises work to prevent men's violence against women. Our vision is for the violence and oppression to which women are subjected to cease entirely. No one should be subjected to honour-related oppression. No one should have to marry against her or his will or be pressured to enter into marriage with a person she or he has not chosen. And no one should lose their life because of honour-related violence.

I would like to underline that honour-related violence and oppression against girls and women stand out from other forms of violence because of its collective nature: such actions are condoned by the family and community. Since upholding honour is seen as a collective responsibility, there are difficulties in determining culpability and in prosecuting. This means that girls and women in such settings are particularly vulnerable.

The recent General Assembly resolution stresses that it is important that States strongly condemn violence against women, and refrain from invoking any custom, tradition or religious consideration to avoid their obligations with respect to such violence.

Ladies and Gentlemen: I see this seminar as an important opportunity for us to exchange experiences and knowledge about this vital issue. Let me tell you about some of the steps that have been taken in Sweden.

The Swedish Government has initiated a number of measures to address these pressing issues in the past few years. Special funding has been allocated to stimulate the creation of sheltered housing particularly for girls under the age of 18 years, as well as to raise awareness and educate professionals and other adults who have direct contact with girls subjected to violence in the name of honour.

Special target groups are of course professionals in the social services, the police force, the judiciary and the school system. These professionals must have a good knowledge and understanding of what constitutes violence in the name of honour in order to combat it and provide the victims with the support they need.

If one looks at the problem from the perspective of the social services, one must be aware that the family and relatives are part of the problem and cannot be drawn into the issue and used as a resource as would otherwise be the case in Sweden.

If one looks at it from a police and legal perspective, honour crimes are particularly complicated to investigate and demanding in terms of resources. A crime may be planned in one country and committed in another. Crimes motivated by honour frequently contain ritual elements, which require particular expertise of those investigating the crime. Issuing a restraining order to one single persecutor, or detaining him, is insufficient since the violence is seen as a collective responsibility.

Ignorance may result, as we all realise, in society's efforts making the situation of victims more difficult, instead of helping them.

It is essential to protect the victims, if necessary by placing them in sheltered housing. While sheltered housing can save a person's life, having to be deprived of your relations with parents and siblings can be a tragedy for young people. Providing sheltered housing is therefore, of course, not enough. There must be plans for the future, and these young people must be given help to form networks that to some extent can fill the void of the loss of relatives. And there must be hope that the future will offer a good and safe life. Measures to boost girls confidence and support their empowerment are vital.

The Swedish school system has a legal obligation to promote equal rights for children and school students and to combat discrimination. School staff play an important role in being able to detect at an early stage the occurrence of honour related violence and oppression.

In addition to the work of public agencies, there are numerous women's organisations and networks that are dedicated to supporting victims of honour-related violence. These organisations oppose the notion that a woman's sexuality defines the honour of the family and try to influence the communities where such thinking prevails. They offer information and guidance to professionals who work with the victims. They also work hard to raise awareness among the general public in order to prevent crimes in the name of honour from occurring. Their work is invaluable.

Despite our efforts there are still many examples of severe mistreatment and abuse. Further steps need to be taken at all levels in order for all girls and women to enjoy fulfilment of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

The Swedish Government has recently begun work on an Action Plan against Violence against Women that will include concrete measures in a number of areas, such as improved support and protection for women who are subjected to men's violence and intervention programmes for men aimed at breaking patterns of aggressive and violent behaviour. The Action Plan will also include measures to raise awareness and knowledge about men's violence against women within the judicial system and social services as well as proposals for improved cooperation within and between authorities.

We must also continue to reinforce our work towards changing attitudes, improving knowledge and raising awareness in all parts of society. Supporting the empowerment of victims of honour-related violence is also of great importance if they are to be able to take control over their own lives.

We need an open and honest debate on how to prevent violence in the name of honour! We must share good experiences as well as bad. Where do we find good examples from training professionals in how to treat people who are affected by honour-related crimes? How do we engage civil society?

In many countries action is being taken in order to eliminate the existence of violence in the name of honour. I want to encourage all countries to continue this important work. I urge you to share your experiences with us - as we will share our experiences with you - in order not to repeat each others' mistakes but to take advantage of what has been successful.

We need to jointly focus our efforts on supporting and trying our best to improve the conditions of life of girls and young women around the world.

Thank you for your attention.