Dowry like social disease on some south Asian country such as, Bangladesh , Pakistan and India. Everyday women become victim because of dowry violence. Most of the groom family demand dowry from bride family. They believe women are bound to bring monitorial property such as, money, gifts, goods from their parents' house when they get married . Groom family's demand even doesn't end after marriage. It's like a continuous process whenever groom family need financial support, they demand support from brides family. If women failed to bring dowry from their parents houses they abuse by groom family psychologically and physically. Although all those country have anti dowry rule but dowry system so deeply rooted in the every part of the society law enforcement failed there. The internal law of these country couldn't stop taking dowry and protect women's violence in domestic level. So women's life are in standard threats almost every day in those society because of dowry system. This issue seriously violates human rights of a women in those society.
"Any young man, who makes dowry a condition to marriage, discredits his education and his country and dishonours womanhood."
Mahatma Ghandi
In this modern era dowry still a big social problem in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. According to recent statistics in Bangladesh dowry annual death rate is 0.6 to 2.8 per 100,000 in Pakistan 2.45 per 100,000 and in India 1.4 per 100,000.The dowry death form is related with burning , poisoning, acid attack , harassment , etc. Husband beat his own wife for unpaid dowry , husbands relative such as, husbands brother sister mother father also behave similar way when they don't get demandable amount of dowry . Almost everyday women are dying , commit suicide , only because of dowry issue in those country . Groom family seriously violates Human rights of women after they get married.
They don't even demand dowry only in marriage time , it can be happen even when groom need any financial support after marriage they create pressure on women to manage their financial needs from their parents family. If for any reason women failed to full fill in law family demand then women have to suffer physiologically , physically both way . Some time women commit suicide when they can't take the torture any more , man family kill women or husband beat wife so harshly then wife die . According to a newspaper article, "A wife's darkest hour" chronicled a wife's brutal murder at the hands of her husband for her inability to bring in the dowry which was negotiated during the marriage proposal. She was set on fire by her greedy husband. This is almost everyday scenario in some of the south Asian countries. Some poor family in India even became so anxious about dowry system, they believe female baby is the financial burden for the family. They buried their female children as soon as they see the baby is not a boy , for example ,according to a CNN report on October 15 , 2019 in the northern part of India a family was digging grave for their late child.
Suddenly they heard a baby crying and the sound is coming from under the ground . very carefully they move the soil and discovered a female child who is still alive inside a pot under the ground. The team rescue the child and took her to the hospital who is still struggling with life . and few days ago same thing happened again but before bury the child a taxi driver saw the incident and called police . when police came police saw that was also a female baby and they were going to bury her and baby s own grandfather was holding her and other family member was making a hole in the ground . when police questioned them they said baby died earlier and they are going to bury her , in the same moment the baby started crying and police arrest the family. All those example prove how much dowry issue throw the society in danger and how it takes away women's dignity in all those society.
In Bangladesh , India , Pakistan they have their own rule to protect women's right. Most of the time women doesn't let her family to know about the torture in the laws house and don't take any justice . Specially women who comes from poor family they tolerate the torture rather bring money from her parents family because of poor financial condition and also they don't want to lose their family. Mostly dowry death happens with middle class and low income family but some high class educated family also face dowry issues. According to a newspaper article Tamanna who was a doctor in Bangladesh killed by her husband family and hanging her with her bedroom ceiling fan , Tamnna's brother informed police his sister killed because her laws family wanted an apartment as a dowry in the capital city . In this incident police arrested Tamanna's mother in law . This example shows that an empowered women's also face harsh treatment if she doesn't get enough protection to protect her basic rights. .
Marriage is just a social contract between male and female to live together , marriage doesn't give the power to grooms family to violates human rights of a women. it doesn't mean groom or in laws family have rights to take away the basic rights of a women for dowry or any other reason. If that happen then that is clearly violation of human rights. According to John Locks natural law theory, every human born with their natural rights. They have freedom of their life, liberty and property.No body can take away this right but dowry system shows that it's taking away a women's birth rights. In his theory he also stated , Government are obligated to protect those basic rights of human being but in this area government couldn't enforce the law strictly to protect women rights .
Most of the country has strict rule against taking dowry such as, Bangladesh has anti dowry rule which passed 1980. According to this rule dowry was illegal, recently Bangladesh parliament passed new rule against dowry to protect women from domestic violence. The new rule is taking, giving and demanding dowry is illegal and the punishment is 5 year imprisonment with 50,000 taka fines. Similarly, India also have 1961 anti-dowry law which dealing with dowry and according to this rule dowry is prohibited. Although some countries have strict rule to protect women basic rights related with dowry death but the harsh truth is the victim family most of the time doesn't complain at all. This culture of silence pushing women in the torture room even more quickly. Women should break their silence and need to come for justice to protect their rights. Some international efforts taken active role to stop dowry related death and also other domestic violence against women.
United Nations declare very clearly to protect women rights. United nations said violation against women is a violation of human rights . and trying to eliminate dowry death since 1945. Some other international organization such as, Amnesty international put their effort to educate public that dowry death is a major scenario in the globe violence against women. UNICEF also taking an active role to eradicate women's dowry related death. The team working on to break the chain on gender based violation and also trying to educate the women and girls in rural area they also help victim by counseling who were abused. Human rights watch a non Government organization criticized Indian Government for the failure to stop dowry related death in the country . So dowry death become a global issue now . International team working on this issue to eliminating this major violence against women which spread over the south Asian country.
Groom family believe that they deserve dowry since their son getting married and the bride permanently transfer from parents house to groom house .so bride family should provide everything for bride including groom and groom family .Over the period of time dowry practice in the society placed this idea in the society system that society can't think they are morally wrong . Groom family believe this is their rights to get dowry from brides family. So when they don't get expected amount of dowry they became crazy and torture the girl. They don't understand their demand is totally wrong.
Due to long period of time dowry practice in the society of the south Asian country it became a common part of the marriage . women treated so harshly by the in laws new home people when she unable to provide enough dowry for them. Government should be more concern enforcing the anti dowry law to protect women rights . International team such as, united nations , Amnstey international , Human rights watch Unicef , also focusing on this issue to reduce dowry related death .
About the Author