Lakshmi has become a heavy burden on her family because they cannot afford the expensive
dowry of the love of her life. Her family has tried negotiating the price with her suitor’s
family, a wealthy pair; they wouldn’t budge. They said that if Lakshmi can’t afford their son’s
dowry, she’s not worthy of becoming part of their family.
Lakshmi cried every day of every week for months. Her family tried to convince her to marry
someone else. After all, she’s a beautiful woman; there are countless other men with cheaper
dowry she can afford to pay.
Lakshmi was adamant that she would either marry Kumal or kill herself.
Why was dowry a criterion? What kind of unfair policy is this?
Lakshmi may go on to kill herself or marry another man she’s not compatible with or even
love, or she may have to resort to doing unspeakable things to produce the amount of money
required for the dowry.
This story may sound absurd, but it is the story of what many Indian women may have had to
go through.
Dowry originates from a medieval-Latin word, dotarium. Dowry refers to valuable goods,
property, or money that the bride’s family gives to the groom’s family as a condition for their
marriage proposal. The list of possible gift items consists of but is not limited to jewelry,
household appliances, furniture, gold, cars, etc.
This dowry can often be burdensome on the bride and her family, especially for families who
are not financially buoyant. This dowry system has led to embarrassment, emotional and
mental abuse, and often time, leading to death.
There are set laws against the dowry system in India since, but so far poorly implemented.
Impacts of the dowry system on the Indian women
Death of women and female infanticide
The report says that every year, 8000 women die because of the dowry system in India. If a
woman can’t afford to pay her dowry, she can become depressed from the embarrassment and
revert to suicide. Death could also result from violence and physical abuse from the groom’s
family or her groom himself when the bride fails to raise the dowry or complete it.
Most families now view having a female child as a liability and would often abort a girl child
or leave them to die after childbirth. Women are therefore undervalued and seen as an
enormous burden to the family. They would rather have a male child who will bring them
good fortune when he gets married.
Promotion of gender inequality
The dowry system devalues women and presents them as liabilities to their families. The
female child is then seen as an unwanted problem, while the male child is a prized possession
that will bring good fortune to the family.
The system has reduced the female child to a property or an object used as an exchange. The
girl also has reduced opportunities and is only prepared for marriage.
Abuse
Women who cannot afford to pay their dowry are often prone to all forms of abuse. The
abuse ranges from emotional abuse to physical abuse and gender-based violence. It can come
from the bride’s or groom’s family or the groom.
Even after marriage, there can still be some tendencies of emotional or verbal abuse from the
groom and his family. It is more common in cases where the woman didn’t complete the
dowry payment.
Promotion of child marriage
Age has an impact on the dowry price. The younger the girl is, the lower the dowry. So some
families marry off their daughters very early to avoid larger dowries.
It stops girls from going to school.
Dowry increases with the level of education of the female child; hence most parents don’t
bother sending their female children to school. Most Indian parents view education as a waste
of investment because the girl would still be married off later in life and won’t bring much
help to the family. The girl is left to work in the house and prepare for marriage.
Economic effects
Dr. Varsha Ramakrishnan (a journalist focusing on women) explains that dowry was initially
supposed to help women attain some independence in marriage. This practice has changed
over time into a culture that degrades women and promotes the idea of husbands being
dominant and wives becoming dependent on their husbands.
Most women do not pursue education, and most times, educated ones do not bother pursuing
their careers after marriage. Consequently, India has one of the lowest rates of women’s
participation in the workforce worldwide.
The women depend on their husbands for money for their needs. The country also feels the
impact of this economically. India is losing a copious part of its human resources, which can
supply intellectual and physical means to the workforce.
Possible solutions
Media is powerful, especially social media. With media, more people can be aware of the
subject and educated on ways to go about dowry-related crimes.
Media campaigns could initiate a movement to encourage the citizens to live by the rules of
the anti-dowry policies. Public protests can also move the government to enforce anti-dowry
laws.
It is not a fight for Indian women alone; everyone is encouraged to join in and speak up
against the dowry system.