Femicide in the context of Coercive control

The term "honor killing", also called a shame killing, refers to murder that is committed, typically by members of the victim's family, with the motivation of preserving or recovering the "honor" that the victim is perceived as having violated or lost as a result of their actions, which may be a source of shame in their society. Most cases of honor killings involve femicide, and they are likewise a frequent manifestation of violence against women in regions of the world where there are traditional or legal norms that greatly restrict women's rights and freedoms.

Although these murders are condemned by international conventions, including by legally binding documents like the Istanbul Convention, and by human rights organizations globally, they remain widespread and several religious and cultural communities continue to justify and encourage them in areas where they exercise influence. Historically, families who refuse or fail to commit honor killings are usually accused of cowardice or a "moral defect" and stigmatized by the religious or cultural community to which they belong (stigma-by-association), thereby inheriting the social rejection and social exclusion that had previously only applied to the victim at the onset of the controversy. While the behaviours and actions that lead to situations of honor killings can vary by the established societal norms of a region, they are most often choices of an intimate nature, such as being in a romantic relationship outside of marriage; refusing to enter into an arranged or forced marriage; seeking a divorce or marital separation; or engaging in premarital, extramarital, or postmarital sex. However, several non-intimate personal choices may result in honor killings as well, such as converting to another religion; being friends with someone who does not belong to the same race, ethnicity, religion, or culture; not taking care to avoid associating with the opposite sex; or dressing in a way that is regarded as diverging from sexual norm (e.g., a man wearing women's clothing) in the community. Furthermore, it is also common for people to be targeted for honor killings if they become victims of rape or sexual assault; or simply because of their inherent state of being, such as having a disability or not identifying as heterosexual.

Coloniality of gender is a concept developed by Argentine philosopher Maria Lugones. Building off Aníbal Quijano's foundational concept of coloniality of power, coloniality of gender explores how European colonialism influenced and imposed European gender structures on Indigenous peoples of the Americas. This concept challenges the notion that gender can be isolated from the impacts of colonialism.

Scholars have also extended the concept of coloniality of gender to describe colonial experiences in Asian and African societies. The concept is notably employed in academic fields like decolonial feminism and the broader study of decoloniality.

Misogyny (/mɪˈsɒdʒɪni/) is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women or girls. It is a form of sexism that can keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the social roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practised for thousands of years. It is reflected in art, literature, human societal structure, historical events, mythology, philosophy, and religion worldwide.

An example of misogyny is violence against women, which includes domestic violence and, in its most extreme forms, misogynist terrorism and femicide. Misogyny also often operates through sexual harassment, coercion, and psychological techniques aimed at controlling women, and by legally or socially excluding women from full citizenship. In some cases, misogyny rewards women for accepting an inferior status.