Opinion | Dowry – Immediate Need to Stamp-out This Social Menace

Dowry is a social evil in the society that has caused unimaginable tortures and crimes towards women. The evil has taken the lives of women from all stratas of society – be it poor, middle class or the rich. However it is the poor who succumb and fall prey to it, more due to their lack of awareness and education. It is because of the dowry system, that daughters are not valued as much as the sons. In the society, many a times it has been seen that they are seen as a liability and are often subjected to subjugation and are given second hand treatment may it be in education or other amenities. Today the government has come up with many laws and reforms, not only to eradicate the dowry system, but also to uplift the status of the girl child by bringing in many schemes. It is now for the society at large to become aware and understand the situation.  It is up to all of us to take active steps in bringing about the necessary change and stop either giving or taking dowry. We must all know that we should start valuing our daughters first, so that others know their value once they grow up. Dowry is a social evil which has affected our society and it has caused too much destruction to the socio-economic structure. It still exists in India particularly in Kashmir valley such evil is making its roots strong. So many girls committed suicide to save their parents from economic drudgery. The recent incident of dowry took place in the village of north Kashmir’s Keeri, where a 28 year woman mother of two kids was beaten up by her husband and her in-laws for dowry.
Important steps to eradicate dowry
• Educate your daughters
• Encourage them to have their own career
• Teach them to be independent and responsible
• Treat them (your daughter) equally without any discrimination
• Do not encourage the practice of giving or taking dowry
Hence education and independence is one powerful and valuable gift that you can give your daughter. This will in turn help her to be financially sound and be a contributing member of the family, giving her respect and right status in the family. So providing your daughter with a solid education and encouraging her to pursue a career of her choice is the best dowry any parent can ever give their daughter.
Dowries Trap Poor People in Debt
Dowries often force poor families to take out loans with steep interest rates, sell off their land to raise money, promise to pay dowries in installments, and other scenarios that can lead to crippling debt. “Families from his income group often go begging in order to give marriageable daughters a dowry,” Haji Mumtaz Ali, who heads an anti-dowry campaign, told The Guardian. “Other parents sell their farmland to come up with a dowry. And some parents take out high-interest loans from money lenders and get trapped with huge debts. Dowries also deepen class hierarchies. Wealthy families who expect higher dowries essentially exclude poor families from asking for a marriage.
How to tackle the social evil of dowry?
The dowry system is a social taboo that must be abolished. Every girl should be proud to visit her in-laws. In India, the dowry system affects 5 out of 10 families. Although the government has enacted numerous regulations, the practice of dowry continues to exist in our society. As a result, we all must begin taking action to combat it. Starting from our own homes is the first step. At home, both boys and girls should be treated similarly and given equal opportunity. Both of them should be educated and given the freedom to be completely self-sufficient. Education and freedom are the two most powerful and valuable gifts that parents can give to their daughters. Only education will allow her to be financially secure and a valuable family member, earning her respect and suitable family standing. As a result, the best dowry a father can bestow on his daughter is an excellent education, guidance, and motivation to pursue her aspirations.  Another thing that needs to be done is make suitable legal amends.  No one can implement a law without the people’s full cooperation. Enacting a law, without a doubt, establishes a pattern of behavior, engages social conscience, and aids social reformers in their efforts to repeal it. The system must give more moral value-based education to the common people to extend their brains and perspectives. Society should strive for gender equality. States should evaluate gender-disaggregated data across the life cycle — birth, early childhood, primary education, nutrition, livelihood, access to healthcare, and so on to counteract gender disparities. Widening childcare and ensuring safe public transit is vital in decreasing workplace bias and establishing supportive work cultures. Men and women should have equal domestic chores and responsibilities.
– The author is a student of B.A 5th semester enrolled at GDC Sopore. She can be reached at Shahanazgojri@gmail