Izzat, a simple word that simply means honor or respect yet holds so much importance to South Asian families. Izzat is everything that families live by. The family honor is often what drives the decisions that women in South Asian communities make.
To protect one’s “izzat”, a family would go against what a person wants, disown them, or even in some severe cases, kill the person going against them. Since the idea of “izzat” is placed upon girls at a very young age, it feels like a responsibility or burden. Throughout their entire lives, they need to protect their family’s izzat. However in most cases, what a son or male does, doesn’t affect the family honor as much. What a girl wears, her actions, and the people she hangs around with, all affect a family’s izzat. Old traditions and ideas need to change!
Women in South Asia 