DOWRY: A SOCIAL EVIL

INTRODUCTION

Marriage is an integral part of society, a source of joy and festivities as well as of

new beginnings. Yet, one of the longest standing evils associated with marriage
from a woman’s point of view in the Indian society is the Dowry system.

Despite a lot being said and done against the custom, it is still prevalent in the 21st
century, in both subtle and obvious ways. The root of a host of social atrocities
against women, the custom of presenting dowry is the crudest expression of the
male-dominance in the society. It is most often the mandatory custom of a girl’s
parents having to provide a considerable amount of cash, gold in the form of
jewelry, electronic equipment, movable or immovable properties, to the groom and
his family, at the time of marriage.

Although the origin of the custom lies with parents trying to assure financial
stability for their daughters, in current perspective it has translated into parents
paying up for the assurance of well-being of their daughters. The jewelry and cash
that a bride brings with her from her parents’ house is often referred to as
“Streedhan” and in theory is the property of the girl, but in reality it is often treated
as their rightful due by the groom’s family. The sum to be paid as dowry has no set
standard, the yardstick greatly depends on the groom’s profession/social standing
and is often perceived as the groom’s family as the compensation of efforts they
have made to educate their boy.

This ideal is so ingrained in the psyche of a large number of Indians, they either
practically ruin themselves financially in order to pay for the appropriate price of
the chosen groom, or make a bid to eradicate the prospect of this financial burden
by selective gender-biased abortion or female infanticide.

This exploitative system that has turned the custom of giving gifts and well wishes
into a compulsory demand for money, respect and subjugation, is the one of the
major contributing factors hindering the growth of the Indian society where being a
woman is still viewed synonymous to being a burden.
Causes of Dowry System

1. Greed Factor – dowry demands often is exemplary of the collective greed of

the society. Extortion in the name of social standing, compensation for the cost of
groom’s education, his financial stability is a key feature of Indian marriages.

2. Society Structure – the dowry system is largely the manifestation of the

patriarchal nature of the Indian society where men are considered superior to
women in aspects of physical and mental capabilities. With the backdrop of such
societal structure, women are often considered second-tier citizens, fit to assume
only domesticated roles. Such perceptions are often associated of them being
treated as a burden in economic terms first by the father and then by the husband.
This feeling is further compounded by the dowry system which fuels the belief that
girl child is a potential cause of drain of family finances.

3. Illiteracy – lack of formal education is another cause for the prevalence of the
dowry system. A large number of women are deliberately kept from schools either
due to certain superstitions or from the belief that educating girls will take away
from their eligibility as good wives.

4. Social Status of Women – the inferior social standing of women in Indian

society is so deep-rooted in the psyche of the nation, that this treatment of them as
mere commodities is accepted without question, not only by the family but by the
women themselves. When marriage is viewed as the ultimate achievement for
women, evil practices like dowry takes its roots deeper in the society.

5. Propulsion Towards Adhering to Customs – Indians value traditions a lot and

they tend not to question customs. They follow traditions blindly and provide
dowry because it is the norm handed down through generations.

Effects of Dowry System

1. Gender inequality – When we speak of gender inequality in the nation, dowry

system can be considered the catalyst for this issue. According to the social
infrastructure of the nation, it is a common perception that a woman is a liability
and is to be married off someday, with a dowry debt at disposal. Well, for the
masses, the birth of a girl is an inception to long-term plans to pay off the dowry
along with the child.

Seemingly, this saving venture hampers the future of the girl and restricts her of
equal opportunities for the mail child. The very future planning for a better
marriage proposal ruins the prospects of a merrier life for the child. Well, dowry
system can be accounted for atrocities on the masses. The plight of the girl child is
initiated with her birth due to this particular infrastructure and continues to hamper
her peace of mind and tranquility.

2. Social Effects: Society owes its origins to masses and when we speak of the
constituent evils of the segment in our subcontinent, dowry system is one of the
most leveraged one. Being widely practiced across the nation, every other family
faces the brunt of it. If a demand is not met by the bride’s family, she suffers at the
hands of her groom’s family leading to social imbalance and emotional
breakdown.

3. Decrements status of women: When a girl is born, for particular individuals,

the societal framework is dismayed. She is no longer a happiness and her birth is
no more an occasion. She is deprived of basic rights to education, freedom and
speech. However, owing to the basic structure, and the dowry ideology, her ordeal
doesn’t end with marriage. For a female individual, with little or no self economic
support, she exists at the assistance of her groom. Hence, when his demands aren’t
met, it leads to the breakdown of the empathetic relation between the two entities
leading to disparity.

After a period, this ordeal doesn’t come to conclusion, rather, it leads to domestic
violence and poses a serious threat to the future of the family. The girl loses on her
freedom once she is married and it yet again, comes at the cost of a dowry debt.

Promotes domestic violence and crime: Dowry system initiates the act of
violence in the society. When demands are not met by the bride’s family, the
atrocities elevate proportionately. At times, extreme steps are undertaken to shell
out financial grants or material benefits from the bride’s family. Well, yet again
these steps can be attributed to the much debated domestic violence. The crimes
against women take a surge owing to this structure of extortion.

Laws Against Dowry System in India

1. The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961: The Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961 was
one of the most significant attempt for the uplift of women’s status in the society
and the abatement of dowry system. This legislation marked the inception of an
evolution leading to development of a legal infrastructure which effectively
monitored the exchange and facilitation of exchange of dowry. It imposes a penalty
in section 3 in case of exchange or demand for dowry. The minimum term for the
lay-off was 5 years and a minimum fine of INR 15,000 or the amount of dowry.

To counteract the abuse women face at their own abode, the Protection of Women
from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 was passed. It facilitated a civil law solution to
protect a woman from domestic violence in India. The definition and the segments
included in the legislation are diversified and include all forms of abuse, namely,
physical ,emotional, economic, sexual or verbal aggression.

Solution

1. Education: Education is the primary catalyst of growth in any nation. Lack of

education leads to irresponsible decisions leading to financial exploitation from a
marriage relation. Dowry system is a social evil and owes its origination to
ignorance and illiteracy. Eradicating this evil is not possible without educating the
society.

2. Making women self-dependent: The female sect of our society is an active

contributor in the development of the home, the society and the nation as a whole.
To churn out productivity, and ride upon the reins of development, women
empowerment is a necessity.

Owing to the dowry system, they are exploited both emotionally and verbally. It
hampers their development and thought process. Hence, ensuring employment
opportunities for the female sect and making education feasible seems the first step
to ensure annihilation of dowry system from the society.

3. Gender Equality: The primary reason behind dowry system is the existence of
a patriarchal society. To ensure removal of dowry system from the nerves of our
system, gender equality is the second step. To eradicate this evil, we need to learn
and educate others about the ill-effects of it and it can be achieved by providing
equal rights to both genders.

4. Government Initiatives: Government is the body which holds the key to

development of a nation. It is the formulator of laws and executes them to make
sure people follow them for the betterment of the society. Dowry system has been
a part of the society since time eternal.

The government has made legislation to limit the dowry exchange. Well, to ensure
the people follow the laws, proper implementation should be carried out. It should
monitor the sentiments of the community and ensure that no dowry exchange
exercises are carried out.