The spectacle of the feminine Other: Reading migrant women's autobiographies about honour-based violence

Autobiographies of migrant women about their experiences with honour-based violence (HBV) reach many readers and are used in policy debates on women's emancipation and immigrant integration. Migrant women's central position in this nationalistic debate stigmatises them as passive victims, their husbands as violent and their culture as oppressive. We read 16 autobiographies by female authors to analyse how the spectacle of the other is represented in their stories. Despite their victimisation, most authors present themselves as strong women. Nevertheless, the image of an exceptional woman who breaks off all contact with her family, still stigmatises migrant communities as oppressive. We found a few stories of women who describe their ongoing struggle to make their own life choices within their communities. These stories deserve more attention because they may be useful for addressing honour conflicts. To end HBV, we need to move beyond spectacle and consider how we can learn from these women.