Some Issues with Dowry Related Violence Against Women

This article examines the Indian practice of dowry violence in which fathers-in-law abuse their sons' wives to get more money or valuables from the bride's family or to express their disapproval of the marriage provided by the bride's family.

To get more money or valuables from the bride's family, or to express their displeasure at the dowry paid by the bride's family, fathers-in-law abuse their sons' wives in India.

When a bride's parents fail to meet the dowry requirements of the groom's family, withhold a portion of the dowry, or the dowry does not satisfy the groom's family, violence is often committed against her. Bride death (often burned) or suicide are common outcomes of dowry disputes. According to studies, many victims of dowry are young, dependent, uneducated women in their early years of marriage.

The Indian government has amended its penal and criminal procedure codes to make dowry-related violence against women illegal and to make it easier to prosecute such crimes. In addition, the Dowry Prohibition (Amendment) Act 1984 criminalized the offense and expanded the definition of dowry. The deterrent effect of the legislation has yet to materialize, according to the authors, who say voluntary social pressures should be introduced to prevent dowry-related violence against women. There are a total of 20 references in this article.

The Dowry Problem: Poor parents generally find it extremely difficult to pay the dowry and all other extravagances associated with marriage. Also, most dowry payments are not made in the name of the bride and she has no control over them. Instead, they are given to the groom or his parents, which has become a common practice. Due to the ease with which cash can be handled and the ease with which it can change hands, a cash dowry has become increasingly popular in recent years.

Consequently, the misuse of the dowry by the groom's family, as well as the manner in which it is awarded, has exceeded all reasonable limits. Inflation in the amount of dowry paid to the eligible group has a number of implications for the bride's status in her new home. For example, after spending most or all of the dowry on her wedding, the in-laws may think they can continue to pressure the bride's parents into getting extra money.

Why dowry-related violence? - Coercive behavior by in-laws after persistent demands for dowry. Dowry-related violence occurs when a man acts violently against a woman, usually resulting in her death or suicide.

This phenomenon may be due to several factors. On the other hand, it can be difficult to identify dowry-related harassment because marital crises can be caused by several other variables such as the personality of the spouses, their incompatibility, unreasonable expectations, etc. However, the dowry and the many social conventions form a strong pretext for the man and his family to humiliate, insult and even beat the lady (Kishwar and Vanita, 2004).

Dowry seems to be a factor that bride abuse is all about, and most dowry-related deaths, suicides, bride-burning and stalking are clearly the result

the dissatisfaction of the in-laws with the insufficient dowry of the beautiful girl. Press articles and statements confirm this fact.

Difficulty gathering evidence: Finding evidence for the crime and cause of death is difficult, as most deaths occur behind closed doors. A dowry crime is often carefully planned and carried out within the four walls of a house by a group of relatives who conspire to eliminate one of the relatives for profit.

Even when a friend's daily abuse is brought to the attention of her neighbors, few people take the issue seriously enough to report it to authorities. While public protests against such abuse have occasionally been documented (Basu, 1987), they may not always occur.

Sometimes the girlfriend reveals the type of harassment she has experienced, as well as the identities of the perpetrators. When a dying woman ponders the fate of her children after her death and the possibility of giving her family a bad name, she may hesitate to testify against her husband or in-laws before the police or a magistrate. It was mentioned that