Intersecting Oppression and the Multiplex of Violence against Women

Abstract

Violence in the name of honor, including killing as its most extreme and ultimate form, is a particular form of violence against women. It has a strong link with the regulation of sexuality and reproduction, in particular the control of female sexuality. It is also strongly connected to defending and maintaining collective identity, and setting or maintaining the biological and social boundaries of a group. This connection to collective identity and community maintenance explains why there is often more than one perpetrator involved in the violence or killing. There are often conflicts or contradictions within the group but, for the many reasons discussed below, critical voices have been silenced. A proper grasp of this violence requires contextualization and close attention to how notions of gender and sexuality have been shaped by and are connected to the historical and political processes and governing structures of power and dominance, and their intersecting oppressions. The chapter outlines Iraqi Kurdish women’s oppression and highlights the intersecting violence they face within the overall organization of power and dominance, and how it has affected and encouraged violence and killing in the name of honor. The situation for women in Iraqi Kurdistan has improved in the past two decades, especially since 2003, particularly, with regard to their legal status, the criminalization of violence and killings, and their involvement in public life.