Are Womans An Inferior or an Prisoner ? Why Aren't They Free ?
Are Womans An Inferior or an Prisoner ? Why Aren't They Free ?
By - Vaidehi Patel
Hi friends,
My name is Vaidehi Patel.Today's topic is very different : Are Womans An Inferior or an Prisoner ?Why Aren't They Free ?.....In this topic,I will tell you about a ancient system,about some womens who are passing their lives in so much difficulties.So,lets take a look on it...
Some womens in almost all states of India are treated like they are a robot.Anyone tells them to trust on anyone,serve them like a king and treat badly by hurting them etc.I feel pity on them because they are harassed by their husbands,children,in-laws and relatives,don't have any rights on their husband etc.When they want,they beat her,harasse her.No one thinks about her while beating her and doing bad things with her.
Once the girls are married,they are badly treated by in-laws and husbands....People who think that girls are born only for marriage at a very young age like 10,doing household,give birth to children,remain uneducated,not allowed to go outside,stay in home for the whole day and serve everyone like a servant.
Shame on these people...Even if the people who are educated think like this,this means they still need more to learn.Just like Dowary System in ancient India....Many people are not aware of this system including me....I got the information of Dowary System in my SST book...Let's learn a small information of the Dowary System.!!!
This is a part of the dowary system 👆🏻👆🏻👆🏻
The tradition of the dowry
The origins of the dowry
system in India have been greatly debated. One theory is that
historically parents of the bride nominally provided gifts such as
jewelry and everyday household items to the bride which evolved over
time to providing a sum of money to the groom’s family. Another, more
patriarchal view, alleges that daughters were “given” away and that
grooms were offered gifts (and eventually money) as somewhat of a bribe
to ensure the fair treatment of the woman. The exact sum of money was
dictated by the groom’s education and social standing, however its
initial intention was to act as a safeguard should something happen to
the groom in his lifetime rendering him no longer able to provide for
his wife and eventual children.
The practice became commonplace
during the Middle Ages, with fathers who were looking to ensure a strong
family bloodline paying top price for grooms of good ancestry.
While the dowry system still exists in India today, its function has changed somewhat, becoming an unspoken mandate and being viewed these days as something of a bargaining chip when arranging marriages. The more educated a groom is, the more money his family can demand as a dowry. Parents start saving for their daughters’ dowries from birth, placing a financial burden on families of low socio-economic backgrounds.
The dark side of the dowry
The underbelly of the dowry system revolves around the treatment of brides. Referred to as “bride-burning”, the act of maiming or even killing brides whose family cannot or will not meet a groom’s dowry demands is a worrying practice in India. The National Crime Records Bureau reports that in 2010 alone, there were 8,391 dowry-related deaths in the country, representing a 0.1% increase from 2009 and almost double the number of dowry-related deaths recored two decades ago. Only a third of all reported cases result in conviction of the offenders.
Another flow on effect of the dowry system has been the practice of female infanticide and feticide. The birth of a daughter can be a cause of great concern for families, particularly those from poorer demographics, as they must then start to figure out how they will pay a dowry when it comes time for the daughter to marry. It is alleged that this concern leads partially to female infanticide and feticide in India, though exact figures relating to this are difficult to determine. According to 2011 census data, in the age group 0-6 years, there are 914 girls to every 100 boys in India. Figures calculated by the Toronto Globalist indicate that comparing this figure to the natural male/female birth ratio show that about three million girls are “missing” from actual population numbers, while recent studies show that girls in this age group have a much higher mortality rate duo to violence,negligence or murder than boys do.
Government intervention
The blowout of the dowry system forced the government to take action in the middle of last century, introducing the Anti-Dowry Act in 1961 which outlawed the giving and receiving of dowries. After its introduction, the act received little support and was not strongly enforced, leading to a rampant and thriving illegal market for dowries.
It wasn’t until later in the twentieth century, when women’s rights groups were campaigning strongly against dowries and former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi organized the marriage of her son without accepting a dowry from the bride’s parents, that the public really took notice, leading to an amendment of the Anti-Dowry Act in 1989 and public enforcement of the law. Among other initiatives, the government established an all-female police taskforce in 1992, set up with the sole purpose of investigating dowry dispute-related abuse or deaths. There are now more than 300 of these police taskforces across the country.
But it doesn’t just come from above. There is a call on young people not to tolerate dowry giving and receiving practices when getting married. There are conflicting arguments as to what the solution here is. Education is imperative yes, though some state that it is within the more educated and literate areas of India that female infanticide and feticide numbers are the highest.
Public awareness campaigns are vital to breaking down centuries’-old thinking on this topic as well as de-stigmatizing the act of reporting abusive husbands or their families. Positive media coverage of women who’ve gone to the police after being threatened or abused by their husbands in relation to a dowry has been key to encouraging other women do the same.
Social media is also starting to play a role in this regard, with many blogs, Twitter and Facebook Pages solely dedicated to providing information about and possible solutions to infanticide, feticide and dowry-related deaths and abuse, though rates of illiteracy and inaccessibility to the internet in many parts of the country mean that online activity should always be accompanied by offline activity.
On a state level, it is also argued that strong and consistent punishment of offenders as well as fair investigation of each case would send a clear message to people that they will be penalized heavily if they participate in dowry giving or receiving or related abuse.
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