INTRODUCTION: Dowry, or Dahej, is one of the deep-rooted societal evils this is growing at an exceptional fee in present day culture. While it’s miles plain that current people criticize it, the exercise differs in keeping with the area, caste, and faith. This evil is silently claiming the lives of harmless married ladies, from turning into a economic burden on a daughter’s own circle of relatives to losing cash. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Iran, to call a few, have a extra fee of dowry deaths than different growing and undeveloped nations. Despite the truth that our Constitution ensures ladies identical rights, has our patriarchal society stopped viewing them as extra than a private possession? Simply placed, the famed dowry device dehumanizes ladies through treating them as commodities to be traded.
IMPACT OF DOWRY SYSTEM:
1.) Gender Discrimination– Due to the dowry device, ladies are regularly dealt with as liabilities and are typically subjected to subordination and second-magnificence remedy in phrases of schooling and different amenities.
2.) Having an Impact on Women’s Careers– The extra historical past for the exercise of dowry is ladies’s underrepresentation withinside the body of workers and, as a result, their loss of economic independence. Poorer households placed their daughters to paintings for you to store cash for his or her dowry. Regular center and upper-magnificence households ship their daughters to school, however they do now no longer area a excessive cost on expert alternatives.
3.) Many Women Remain Single– Despite being knowledgeable and professionally capable, an untold quantity of women withinside the us of a stay single indefinitely due to the fact their mother and father are not able to fulfill the call for for a pre-marriage dowry.
4.) Objectification of Women– Today’s dowry is extra like a economic funding through the bride’s own circle of relatives for you to benefit get admission to to influential connections and cash-making opportunities. Women are decreased to commodities due to this. five.) Crime Against Women– The dowry device has been related to lots of crimes in opposition to ladies, starting from emotional abuse and damage to death.
WAY FORWARD:
1.) Recognizing the Limitations of Political Solutions to Social Issues– No regulation may be carried out with out the people’s complete cooperation. Enacting a regulation, with out a doubt, establishes a sample of behavior, engages social judgment of right and wrong, and aids social reformers of their efforts to repeal it. However, a social hassle like dowry will now no longer be eliminated until the precept in the back of the regulation is carried tons farther through the people.
2.) Educating Girls– One of the maximum powerful and valuable presents that mother and father can offer to their daughters is schooling and freedom. This will permit her to be financially solid and a contributing a part of the own circle of relatives, incomes her appreciate and right own circle of relatives standing. As a result, the best dowry any discern can offer their daughter is a superb schooling and encouragement to pursue a profession of her choice.
3.) Dowry Acceptance Should Be Considered A Social Stigma– Dowry recognition must be made a social stigma that influences all generations. It is important to elevate public recognition approximately the bad consequences of the dowry device for you to attain this. In this context, the Union and State governments should take powerful tasks to increase ‘anti-dowry literacy’ the various public on a ‘continuous’ foundation thru Lok Adalats, radio broadcasts, television, and newspapers. The simplest manner to successfully address the chance posed through the dowry device is for teens to step forward. To expand their minds and expand their outlook, they should be trained ethical cost-primarily based totally schooling.
4.) Multi-stakeholder approach– Dowry isn’t always a one-size-fits-all hassle, so society must make each attempt to attain gender equality. To fight gender disparity, states must take a look at gender-disaggregated facts throughout the lifestyles cycle — birth, early childhood, schooling, nutrition, livelihood, get admission to to healthcare, and so on. Expanding childcare and presenting secure public transportation, in addition to decreasing prejudice in employment and developing putting forward activity environments, are all important. At home, women and men must proportion home duties and duties.
DOWRY PROHIBITION ACT, 1961: The Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961 mixed anti-dowry law that were accepted in some of states. Section three of this regulation imposes punishment on every person who gives, accepts, or aids withinside the giving or getting of dowry. The penalty may encompass no less than five years in jail and a first-rate of extra than $15,000 or the cost of the dowry received, whichever is extra. Dowry is described as any belongings or valued safety supplied or agreed to receive along with a wedding below the Act. The penalty for giving or receiving dowry does now no longer practice to presents provided on the time of marriage and for which no call for has been made. The Act establishes a penalty for immediately or circuitously stressful dowry, which incorporates no less than six months in jail and a most of years in jail, in addition to a first-rate of $10,000. Dowry contracts are null and void from the start, and any dowry acquired through every person aside from the female must be transferred to her. The burden of evidence is at the accused, now no longer the sufferer or her own circle of relatives, to expose that an infraction became now no longer committed. The authorities of India has formulated the Maintenance of Lists of Presents to the Bride and the Bridegroom Rules, 1985, as a part of its authority to make policies to perform the Act’s objectives. The Dowry Prohibition Act has additionally been amended on the country level.
CONCLUSION: Dowry isn’t always simplest illegal, however it’s also unethical. As a result, society’s judgment of right and wrong should be absolutely aroused to the dowry device’s faults, such that the call for for dowry outcomes in a “lack of face” in society for people who call for it
Aishwarya Says:
I have always been against Glorifying Over Work and therefore, in the year 2021, I have decided to launch this campaign “Balancing Life”and talk about this wrong practice, that we have been following since last few years. I will be talking to and interviewing around 1 lakh people in the coming 2021 and publish their interview regarding their opinion on glamourising Over Work.
If you are interested in participating in the same, do let me know.
Do follow me on Facebook, Twitter Youtube and Instagram.
The copyright of this Article belongs exclusively to Ms. Aishwarya Sandeep. Reproduction of the same, without permission will amount to Copyright Infringement. Appropriate Legal Action under the Indian Laws will be taken.
If you would also like to contribute to my website, then do share your articles or poems at adv.aishwaryasandeep@gmail.com
We also have a Facebook Group Restarter Moms for Mothers or Women who would like to rejoin their careers post a career break or women who are enterpreneurs.
We are also running a series Inspirational Women from January 2021 to March 31,2021, featuring around 1000 stories about Indian Women, who changed the world. #choosetochallenge