Regulating female sexuality through honor killings: A symbolic violence perspective on a girl in the river

Honor killings represent an extreme form of gender-based violence that functions as a mechanism for regulating female sexuality in patriarchal societies. This study examines how the 2015 documentary A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness highlights the intersection of cultural, religious, and legal frameworks that perpetuate honor-based violence in Pakistan. Using Pierre Bourdieu's theory of symbolic violence, this study analyzes how patriarchal values are reinforced through societal validation, religious misinterpretations, and legal loopholes that enable perpetrators to evade justice. Employing a thematic analysis on the documentary, the study identifies key themes, including the social legitimization of honor killings, the internalization of patriarchal norms by women, and the role of legal forgiveness in perpetuating impunity. Findings reveal that honor killings are not merely individual acts of violence but are deeply embedded in cultural ideologies that seek to maintain male control over female sexuality. This study places A Girl in the River within the wider discussion of gender violence and Islamic patriarchy, emphasizing the critical need for dialogue aimed at dismantling honor-based violence in society.