Today, the government announced a raft of new measures to tackle so-called ‘honour’-based abuse.
While we welcome the inclusion of ‘honour’-based abuse within its wider commitment to halving violence against women and girls (VAWG) over the next decade – a demand we have consistently championed since the start of Labour’s tenure – these measures fall short of what is needed.
Most notably, the government has failed to include Banaz’s Law. This omission is deeply concerning. Banaz’s Law is led by Bekhal Mahmod – herself a victim-survivor of ‘honour’-based abuse and the sister of Banaz Mahmod, murdered in an ‘honour killing’ in 2006 – and supported by Southall Black Sisters (SBS). The law would ensure that ‘honour’-based abuse is explicitly recognised as an aggravating factor in sentencing, backed by robust statutory guidance shaped by lived experience and the expertise of ‘by and for’ Black, minoritised, and migrant women’s organisations.
Such a law would stop ‘honour’-based abuse from being ignored, dismissed, or excused by statutory agencies under the guise of ‘cultural sensitivity’ or institutional racism. It would also ensure that ‘honour’ can never be invoked as a defence for homicide or other crimes, while driving crucial normative change within communities by making clear that tackling ‘honour’-based abuse is fundamental to achieving gender equality.
Banaz’s Law already has strong political backing. It was tabled in Parliament under the Crime and Policing Bill by Kirith Entwistle MP, with support from more than 50 MPs, and previously introduced under the Criminal Justice Bill by Jess Phillips, now Minister for Safeguarding and VAWG.
Bekhal Mahmod, victim-survivor and sister of Banaz, said:
“I welcome that the Government is taking some measures to address honour based abuse (HBA). I am, however, concerned that Banaz’s Law is not included. I have campaigned for this law in the name of my beloved sister, Banaz, with Southall Black Sisters for five years. I am grateful for the support of Jess Phillips MP, who argued for this reform in Parliament when in opposition. Over 50 MPs and many organisations working on HBA support this reform. I hope that the new Government will now urgently take action to introduce Banaz’s Law so that my sister’s tragic death is not in vain.”
We therefore urge the government to treat Banaz’s Law as a priority within this new legislative package – one it claims will be acted upon at the ‘earliest possible opportunity’ – to ensure these measures deliver real, systemic change.
Beyond Banaz’s Law, we remain concerned that the new measures fail to address the root causes that prevent Black, minoritised, and migrant victim-survivors from seeking protection.
One glaring omission is the government’s continued failure to recognise the reality facing migrant women subjected to ‘honour’-based abuse. The majority have No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) and are routinely denied statutory protection, status, and support. This leaves them trapped in an impossible choice: endure abuse, face destitution, or risk deportation. At SBS, more than 60% of our service users are migrant women with NRPF, and over 70% experience ‘honour’-based abuse. Unless this injustice is tackled, many will remain invisible and unprotected.
To empower these women to report abuse and seek safety, the government must take a rights-based approach by extending the combined model of the Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession (MVDAC) and the Domestic Violence Indefinite Leave to Remain (DVILR) to all migrant women, regardless of immigration status. This would allow women to access public funds and secure their status in the UK as victim-survivors of abuse.
The barriers facing Black, minoritised, and migrant women are not accidental – they are structural, rooted in the hostile environment and institutional racism. Without addressing these deep injustices, piecemeal reforms will neither inspire trust nor deliver safety. Systemic change must therefore include both immigration reform and eradicating institutional racism in policing, alongside recognising ‘honour’-based abuse as an aggravating factor in sentencing. Only then can the criminal justice system begin to command the confidence of those it has long failed.
Crucially, the government must also engage in meaningful consultation with the specialist ‘by and for’ sector, adequately resourcing our expertise and time, to avoid yet another cycle of tokenistic policy-making that fails women on the ground.
Sustainable, ring-fenced funding for the ‘by and for’ sector is non-negotiable. While investment in the national ‘honour’-based abuse helpline is important, any increase in reporting will have a direct impact on community-based services. Without corresponding investment, these services – which provide culturally competent, holistic support – risk being stretched beyond breaking point. The government has already committed £53 million to perpetrator programmes. It is unacceptable that investment in victim-survivors, particularly through ‘by and for’ services, does not reflect the scale of demand or the life-saving role we play. The disparity is stark and must urgently be addressed.
We therefore call on the government to adopt the following demands as part of its initiative to tackle ‘honour’-based abuse:
Anything less risks condemning Black, minoritised, and migrant women to remain invisible within a system that does not see them, hear them, or protect them.