Socio-economic Impact of Dowry System

  Socio-economic Impact of Dowry System

Dowry is an issue that modern Indian society is still struggling with. There are several theories regarding the origin of the dowry system in India, some believe that it started as a practice of parents giving nominal gifts to their daughters on the occasion of her wedding which later unfolded in a way that it became a tool to satisfy the greed of the groom’s family. While others hold the view, that dowry given to the groom was somewhat of a ‘bribe’ to ensure that the bride was not subjected to any ill-treatment in her in-laws’ house and if anything happened to the earning member of the family, this wealth could act as a safeguard. However, in the 21st century, it has become a symbol of status. The education, financial and social status of the groom plays a role in determining the amount of dowry to be given. If a woman is deemed to be undesirable because of her physical attributes or her lack of education or financial situation, it is compensated by increasing the amount of dowry.

Despite the development that is characteristic of modern society, people are bound by these backward and regressive customs and traditions. There have been numerous efforts by the government of India, feminist organisations, NGOs to curb this social evil. But still, the institution of marriage has been turned into a marketplace, where eligible grooms are put on sale and sold for the highest price. 

Dowry takes its ugliest form when the husband or husband’s family on non-fulfilment of the demands of dowry torture the bride and subject her to violence. There have been numerous cases of burning the bride or mentally and physically torturing her to a point that she was driven to commit suicide.

Cultural factors play a significant role in influencing the mental health of an individual. There have been various studies to illustrate how the constant demands of dowry and subsequent violence take a toll on the mental health of the wife, which may result in a psychological disorder such as depression or anxiety. In some cases, if the continuous dowry demands were not met after the marriage, the wife was made to go back to her home, which lead the bride’s family to become a target of judgements and hateful comments but no such thing is experienced by the groom’s family.

Further, in some societies, to date, women are perceived to be an economic burden as it is believed that one day they have to be married off, and hence, they are not given the same opportunities as that to the male child and are not given a chance to rise to their full potential. Women have to bear the brunt of this social evil from an early age. In some extreme cases, this unwillingness or inability to pay the dowry results in horrendous acts of female infanticide and foeticide.

Suggestions

1. There is a need to amend the existing laws so that nobody can misuse them.

2. Familiarise people with the concept of marriage counselling and promote a positive outlook towards the same. 

3. A case of dowry death or harassment should not be handled by any personnel below the rank of Assistant Commissioner. This is to ensure that a just investigation can take place.

4. There is a need to change the orientation towards the role of women in society. Most of the time parents do not even find it necessary to talk to their daughters about how violence and harassment is not acceptable, they are made to think that holding up this sacred institution of marriage is their primary duty.