Virginity and patriarchy

The Influence of Sociocultural Factors on the Eating Psychopathology of Asian Women in British Society

“…In some cultures, laws have even been introduced that reduce women's rights in areas such as education and ownership of property (e.g. Al-Zubaidy, 1991;Kandiyoti, 1991;Mernissi, 1982). It therefore seems in many ways as if Muslim women might be caught in acute examples of the kinds of conflict over control that others (e.g.…”

Outsourcing Patriarchy

“…This is especially true in anthropological work on the Middle East (e.g. Mernissi 1982;Warnock 1990). Even feminist work seems concerned with how patriarchy serves as a cause of 'honour killings', but not with how crimes come to be understood as 'honour killings'.…”

Reexamining Femicide: Breaking the Silence and Crossing “Scientific” Borders

“…5 Men feel that they need to keep their female relatives in a socially acceptable setting. Any action or nonaction of a female that results in negative social gossip and rumors surrounding her affects her male "guardian's" reputation as a man and elicits social pressure that renders killing the victim an acceptable option (Mernissi 1982;al-Khayyat 1990). When men feel that a female relative's reputation has been tarnished, they do all that they can to control or stop the situation by forbidding her to leave the house without their permission or preventing her from remaining in school or visiting friends and relatives.…”

“…However, Shahla Haeri (cited in Afkhami 1995) shows that women have been killed, threatened with death, and sentenced to life imprisonment for the "crime" of being raped. Female virginity is another major factor in the victimization of females (Mernissi 1982). Doubts about the virginity of a bride may lead to her death as the result of the couple's families' fear of scandal.…”