Honor killings" before the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women

Abstract

On March 2^nd, 2023, the CEDAW reminded Georgia of its obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, recommending, inter alia, to act against gender-based violence, including violence related to honour. These recommendations echo with the ruling of the Committee on October 25^th, 2021, still against Georgia, and in which it ruled on a communication seeking to establish violations of the Convention by the State party, as a result of the alleged commission of an “honour crime” against Ms Jeiranova. In the present case, the Committee concluded that several violations of the Convention had been committed by Georgia, mainly due to the inadequacy of the measures taken by its authorities although they were aware of the risk of honour killing, but also because of the discriminatory behaviour of these authorities. The views of 2021 combined with the recommendations of 2023 have constituted a rare opportunity grasp by the CEDAW to take a position on the issue of “honour crime”. These have highlighted, on the one hand, the seriousness of the acts committed and the importance of combating violence “in the name of honour”, and, on the other, the lack of a specific legal regime for such acts. However, the absence of a specific legal regime does not mean that the issue has not been accordingly to the law, as the Committee fully and appropriately incorporates “honour” violence into the legal regime of discrimination against women.