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Forget about laws. Let's tap into our consciousness and stop the dowry system.
It is a shame that in today’s world of novel technologies, some people still agree on giving dowry. That day, a friend of mine said it is a tradition to give dowry and it is ok. Another relative of mine is getting married and the guy’s family is asking for dowry, and this relative of mine is saying yes. I am just disgusted.
We keep reading how women are burnt by their in-laws or tortured and abused because their families could not give the massive dowry the in-laws wanted. Child brides attract less dowry so more than 700 million women are married off early. Girls are given less education as their families save the money for dowry. Girl infants are abandoned as parents feel they cannot give dowry. Depending on the amount of money you can pay for dowry, you will get a suitor according to it. So if you want a guy who is living in USA, be prepared to fish out massive amounts of dowries. Parents beg and are covered in debt to pay dowries.
Yet there are those educated fools who will say that you should give dowry. Why not spend the money in educating the girl and letting her work and earn money? Is she not a human being? If the groom needs money to keep the bride; then might as well the bride be at home with her parents than live under oppression at a stranger’s house.
It is not ok. Parents cannot treat their girls as burdens. We educate ourselves and yet we cannot get out of this shackles of dowry. We seriously need to rise up and say no to dowry. If a guy or his family wants dowry, we should just say no. Forget about laws. Let’s tap into our consciousness and stop the dowry system. It is a tradition that should be banned and stopped immediately. What is wrong with our generation? Why cant we say no to dowry? I just don’t understand. It’s not like the girl will not get any guy to marry her. Please say no to dowry.
Image is a still from the movie Mehndi
I love to write on women's issues. I strongly believe that every woman is capable of being more than just a homemaker. They are the leaders of our world. They can multi-task more read more...
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Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Women today don’t want to be in a partnership that complicates their lives further. They need an equal partner with whom they can figure out life as a team, playing by each other’s strengths.
We all are familiar with that one annoying aunty who is more interested in our marital status than in the dessert counter at a wedding. But these aunties have somehow become obsolete now. Now they are replaced by men we have in our lives. Friends, family, and even work colleagues. It’s the men who are worried about why we are not saying yes to one among their clans. What is wrong with us? Aren’t we scared of dying alone? Like them?
A recent interaction with a guy friend of mine turned sour when he lectured me about how I would regret not getting married at the right time. He lectured that every event in our lives needs to be completed within a certain timeframe set by society else we are doomed. I wasn’t angry. I was just disappointed to realize that annoying aunties are rapidly doubling in our society. And they don’t just appear at weddings or family functions anymore. They are everywhere. They are the real pandemic.
Let’s examine this a little closer.
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