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Sparsh is a reporter based in India. He offers his thoughts on the illegal custom of dowry in India, exploring the roots of the issue, and considering solutions.
"A strong message must go in the society that a person who commits such an offence of dowry death and/or the offences under the Dowry Prohibition Act shall be dealt with an iron hand,” the Indian Supreme Court Bench said recently.
In layman's terms, "dowry" can be understood as something which is given by a newly-wed bride's family to her new husband or his family. The dowry can take the form of cash or other material goods. In many cases, a woman’s social status is tied to the "quality" of groom she can attract. The "quality" here refers to the financial and social status of the groom; the higher this is, the more discredited the woman’s potential to work for herself and her family.
More often than not, dowry is perceived as a form of compensation for the groom's education, career, and wealth. Meanwhile, the bride's education and career are totally disregarded and perceived as insignificant. Dowry is therefore requested out of materialistic and monetary greed.
India is a country where maintaining social status and acting according to “log kya kahenge” ("what will other people say?") plays an important part in people's lives and decisions. The dowry given acts as a decisive status for the bride’s family, - many of which take out loans to pay for the expensive gifts and jewellery, as dowry is a question of honour.
Despite first being passed in 1961, laws such as “The Dowry Prevention Act, 1961” have failed to eliminate the practice of dowry, which occurs amongst various classes and castes, in both rural and urban settings.
ORIGIN
Scholars trace the origin of dowry to the concept of “Stridhana”, as described in the Manusmriti: an ancient Sanskrit text. The word literally translates as “woman’s property”.
Under the Mitakshara system in Hindu Law, a woman is not entitled to inherit her parents’ wealth. The right to family property is acquired by birth; a family is a unit, and individual rights are not recognized. Female family members have no automatic rights of succession to family property.
Dowry was once perceived as something that could provide the daughter with some financial freedom and social status post marriage. Hence, this practice was not previously considered cruel, but rather beneficial for women.
The passing of the Permanent Settlement Act paved the way for the "zamindari" (landlord) system, meaning all land no longer belonged to the State. New laws in colonial India transformed the ownership of land; no woman was allowed to own land, which is considered a symbol of social status in India. As a result, the economic status of women decreased, and they were forced to become dependent on men financially.
As a result, the dowry system evolved from a consensual trade to one that required a forced economic transfer from the bride to the groom's family. Dowry has evolved in contemporary India and is now practised by Sikhs, Christians, Hindus, and followers of other religions. While dowry would once have taken the shape of jewellery or clothing, today’s families may offer extravagant monetary presents throughout the marriage proposal process.
PROBLEMS:
The obligation to provide a sizable dowry at the time of marriage may then cause the bride's parents to perceive her as a financial burden. This has worrying implications. It plays a huge role in parents’ preferences for male children; in extreme cases, this can cause selective abortions and female infanticide. On the flip side, a woman’s husband and in-laws may feel entitled to the dowry, making her more vulnerable to violence or abuse if she is unable to fulfil their dowry demands.
According to the 2019 report by National Crime Records Bureau, a woman becomes a victim of dowry death almost every hour in India. It is important to note that these are only the registered and reported cases. The Asian Women’s Human Rights Council estimates that dowry is responsible for 25,000 deaths of women aged between 15 and 34 each year.
This type of thinking neglects a woman's value because it views men as more valuable and lucrative marital partners due to their higher earning potential. Regardless of whether they are employed or not, women significantly contribute to the financial stability of the family. The management of the home, the development, and the status of the family frequently depend on the unpaid care job to which women dedicate the majority of their time and energy. However, the marriage market downplays these contributions, maintaining the idea that women are a burden on their potential husband's family.
Contemporary dowry leads to the objectification of women, as families see them as an investment to trade off with wealthy and powerful families.
SOLUTIONS:
The best solution for this problem is to empower women, socially and financially. This will elevate their status, and the family will not be forced to give dowry. The institution of marriage itself should be something we rethink, viewing it as a relationship between two adults who are equal rather than seeing them as assets and liabilities. Additionally, women in work must be paid equally in order to reduce the disparity of financial status between men and women.
Promoting rural manufacturing can also help to tackle the situation, as it will enable more women to be involved in economic activities. An enhancement of the most basic aspects of infrastructure and rural transportation could improve this situation,
As long as the concept of dowry remains a key means to a woman boosting her social status in her in-laws’ household, dowry will continue without fail. A society-wide shift in mentality is required for meaningful change to be achieved.
CONCLUSION:
The unethical practice of dowry will only decline with increased education. Demand for this social evil should be a cause for humiliation for the men and families requesting it, but this level of awareness is yet to become widespread.
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