“There Is No Honor in Abuse”: New UK Law Seeks to Protect Women and Girls

Banaz Mahmod was 20 years old when her family murdered her for leaving an abusive marriage. Her sister, Payzee, who was herself forced into child marriage, has spent years campaigning so that other women might be spared the same fate.

This week, the UK government announced new measures to combat ‘honor’-based abuse in England and Wales, including a clearer legal definition intended to hold more perpetrators to account and protect women and girls from violence. The reforms are part of Labour’s broader mission to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.

“All forms of honor-based abuse are devastating crimes that can shatter lives. There is no honor in them,” said Yvette Cooper, the home secretary. “For too long, these offenses have often been misunderstood by professionals, resulting in victims not getting the support they deserve.”

At its core, ‘honor’ violence rests on the idea that a woman’s life belongs not to her, but to the reputation of her male relatives and community. Any act deemed ‘shameful’ can be treated as a violation of so-called ‘honor’ and used to justify violence.

Each year, this claim costs thousands of women and girls their safety, their freedom, and their lives.

This type of abuse is most common across the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, parts of the Balkans, and within immigrant communities where ‘honor’ cultures remain strong.

The numbers underline the urgency. Police recorded 2,755 offenses linked to ‘honor’-based abuse in England and Wales last year—ranging from forced marriage to female genital mutilation to killings. That’s a more than 60% rise in just two years, a spike attributed both to more victims coming forward and to greater political polarization.

As part of the new approach, teachers, police officers, healthcare workers, and social workers will receive training to spot signs of abuse and act quickly. Public campaigns will encourage victims to come forward. The Home Office will also pilot a study to better understand the scale of the crime, while police are being asked to improve how they assess the risks posed by suspected offenders.

Earlier this year, the government’s Forced Marriage Unit unveiled a parallel plan to strengthen support for victims of forced and child marriage and the professionals working with them.

For survivors like Payzee Mahmod, progress cannot come quickly enough. She still carries the memory of her sister Banaz, whose murder remains a harrowing reminder of what can happen when ‘honor’ is used to justify violence against women and girls.

“Today marks a historic step forward,” Mahmod wrote in a LinkedIn post. “The Home Office will formally introduce a legal definition of Honor-Based Abuse, something survivors like myself, campaigners, and frontline organizations have long called for. This definition will bring much needed clarity, strengthen safeguarding, and help ensure professionals are better equipped to recognize and respond to abuse. As someone who has lived through and campaigned against honor-based abuse, I know how vital this moment is for protecting women and girls, and for holding perpetrators to account.”