Dowry Essay

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In India, dowry (Hindi: दहेज, Dahēja)[1] is the payment in cash or some kind of gifts given to bridegroom's family along with the bride. Generally, they include cash, jewelry, electrical appliances, furniture, bedding, crockery, utensils and other household items that help the newlywed set up her home. Wedding gifts of the son of the imam of Delhi India with soldiers and 2000 guests The dowry system is thought to put great financial burden on the bride's family.[2] It has been cited as one of the reasons for families and women in India resorting to sex selection in favor of sons.[3] This has distorted the sex ratio of India (940 females per thousand males[4]) and may have given rise to female foeticide.[5] The payment of a dowry has been prohibited under The 1961 Dowry Prohibition Act in Indian civil law and subsequently by Sections 304B and 498a of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Contents [hide] 1 Prevalence 2 Laws 3 Social factors 4 Economic factors 5 Domestic violence 5.1 Physical abuse 5.2 Emotional abuse 5.3 Murder 6 See also 7 References 8 External links Prevalence[edit] The trends regarding dowry in India vary across the nation[6] (Bhat 1999). Over the last few decades, there has been an observed transition from the brideprice system, where wealth flows from the groom to the bride’s family, to the dowry system where wealth flows in the opposite direction[6][7] (Bhat 1999, Rao 1993). According to studies, areas in south India have traditionally practiced the brideprice system, even among upper castes[6][8][9] (Bhat 1999, Hutton 1963, Srinivas 1989). In the north, societal differences in marriage led upper castes to practice a dowry system, while in lower classes brideprice was more common[6] (Bhat 1999). Wedding Procession- Bride Under a Canopy with Gifts. Circa 1800 In the last 100 years, the dowry system has taken over the
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