Dowry and Domestic Violence in Bangladesh
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. The Concept of Dowry and Domestic Violence in Bangladesh
1.1 Defining of Dowry and Domestic Violence
1.2 Domestic Violence in relation with Dowry
1.3 Defining dowry-related violence and dowry
2. Causes of Dowry and Practices in Bangladesh
2.1 Major Causes of Dowry
2.2 Social Factors which contributed for Dowry Practice in Bangladesh
2.3 Other Effects of dowry
3. Forms of Violence against Women for Dowry
4. Types of Domestic Violence in Bangladesh
5. Laws and Prevention of Dowry in Bangladesh
5.1 laws in Bangladesh
5.2 Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act, 2010
5.3 Other steps against Dowry
Conclusion
References
Dowry and Domestic Violence in Bangladesh
Introduction
Dowry system is one of the worst evil cultures in this society. A dowry is a gift of money or valuables given by the bride's family to the groom and the newly formed household at the time of their marriage. Often the parents of the daughter are willing to provide a large sum of money and expensive goods to make the future of their daughter a pleasant and secure one. Insolvent families, the family of the groom expects that the parents of the bride will willingly gift the new couple with expensive goods which they can show off as a symbol of prestige and wealth.
Dowry-related violence is a serious problem that affects the lives of women and girls. Dowry includes gifts, money, goods or property given from the bride’s family to the groom or in-laws before, during or anytime after the marriage. Dowry is a response to explicit or implicit demands or expectations of the groom or his family. The United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women defines dowry-related violence or harassment as “any act of violence or harassment associated with the giving or receiving of dowry at any time before, during or after the marriage.
The violence and deaths associated with dowry demands can constitute domestic violence. Similar to acts of domestic violence, the acts used in dowry-related offenses include physical, emotional, and economic violence, as well as harassment and stalking as means to exact compliance or to punish the victim (Khan, 2005). Women often struggle with bringing successful claims of dowry-related violence, as emotional and economic violence are difficult to prove in a court of law. However, dowry-related violence is distinct from domestic violence in that the husband or current partner may not be the only perpetrator of dowry-related violence or death. In-laws, former spouses, or fiancés may also commit acts of dowry-related violence.
While dowry is practiced in many different of the world, dowry-related violence is most prevalent in South Asia, in the nations of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The most common forms of dowry-related violence are battering, marital rape, acid throwing, wife burning, and other forms of violence.
Gender-based violence is on the rise. In 2004, there were 2,981 cases of dowry-related violence; women are beaten or killed because their parents fail to pay the dowry that her in-laws request. This number rose to 4,563 cases in 2012 (Nagaraja, 2012).
In this assignment author will discuss about different types of dowry, causes of dowry, its relation of family violence and major steps which are taken o control dowry in Bangladesh
1. The Concept of Dowry and Domestic Violence in Bangladesh
1.1 Defining of Dowry and Domestic Violence
Material assets such as money or property that are provided by a bride to her husband at the time of their marriage . In certain cultures, this type of act is a common occurrence amongst couple uniting in holy matrimony. Dowry is thought of as a way to bless the marriage and help the husband establish a stable home for his new family.
A dowry is a transfer of parental property at the marriage of a daughter. Dowry contrasts within the related concepts of bride price and dower. While bride price or bride service is a payment by the groom or his family to the bride's parents, dowry is the wealth transferred from the bride's family to the groom or his family, ostensibly for the bride. Similarly, dower is the property settled on the bride herself, by the groom at the time of marriage, and which remains under her ownership and control. Dowry is an ancient custom, and its existence may well predate records of it.
In all cases, the lives of the young brides are at stake. They have to live in a hostile environment where they become the victims of physical, social, mental and psychological torture. Bangladesh suffers from some evil culture and superstitions. It has been an ancient and widespread practice. This bad culture is found and practised more or less in communities of the country. In some cases, parents borrow money at the exorbitant rate of interest to marry their daughters and sisters and spend rest of their life in great misery. Every year many young women commit suicide or face physical torture after marriage because their parents cannot afford to give dowry. Day by day, marriage has become a kind of business and exploitation of the parents of a girl (Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), 2000).
1.2 Domestic Violence in relation with Dowry
According to United Nation Population Fund Report, around two-third of married women are victims of domestic violence, and as many as 70 per cent of married women in between the age of 15 and 49 are victims of beating, rape or forced sex. In Bangladesh, more than 55 percent of the women suffer from domestic violence (Nagaraja, 2012). This form of domestic violence is most common of all. One of the reasons for it being so that women are physically and emotionally weaker than the males. Though women today have proved themselves in almost every field of life-affirming that they are no less than men, the reports of violence against them are much larger in number than against men. The possible reasons are many and are diversified over the length and breadth of the country. The most common causes for women stalking and battering include dissatisfaction with the dowry and exploiting women for more of it, arguing with the partner, refusing to have sex with him, neglecting children, going out of home without telling the partner, not cooking properly or on time, indulging in extra-marital affairs, not looking after in-laws etc. In some cases, infertility in females also leads to their assault by the family members. The greed for dowry, desire for a male child and alcoholism of the spouse, are major factors of domestic violence against women in rural areas. There have been gruesome reports of the young bride being burnt alive or subjected to continuous harassment for not bringing home the amount of demanded dowry. Women in India also admit to hitting or beating because of their suspicion of the husband’s sexual involvement with other women.
In urban areas, there are many more factors which lead to differences in the beginning and later take the shape of domestic violence. These include – more income of a working woman than her partner, her absence in the house till late night, abusing and neglecting in-laws, being more forward socially, etc. Working women are quite often subjected to assaults and coercion sex by employees of the organisation. At times, it could be voluntary for a better pay and designation in the office.
Violence against young widows has also been on the rise in Bangladesh. Most often they are cursed for their husband’s death and are deprived of proper food and clothing. They are not allowed or encouraged for remarriage in most of the homes, especially in rural areas. There have been cases of molestation and rape attempts of women by other family members in nuclear families or someone in the neighbourhood. At times, women are even sexually coerced by their partner themselves against their will. They are brutally beaten and tortured for not conceiving a male child. Incidents like ripping off a woman’s womb for killing the female foetus when she disagrees for abortion have also come to light especially in rural areas. Female foeticide and female infanticide continue to be a rising concern.
Women stay because the fear of leaving is greater than the fear of staying. They will leave when the fear of staying is greater than the fear of leaving.” A common Bangladeshi housewife has a tendency to bear the harassment she is subjected to by her husband and the family. One reason could be to prevent the children from undergoing the hardships if she separates from the spouse. Also, the traditional and orthodox mindset makes them bear the sufferings without any protest.
Other forms of physical abuse against women include slapping, punching, grabbing, burdening them with drudgery, public humiliation and the neglect of their health problems. Some of the other forms of psychological torment against them could be a curtailment of their rights to self-expression and curb the freedom to associate with the natal family and friends.
1.3 Defining dowry-related violence and dowry
- Any act of violence or harassment associated with the giving or receiving of dowry at any time before, during or after the marriage.
- Laws should expansively define dowry in terms of its form and when it is demanded, given or received (UNICEF, 2011). Dowry should include gifts, money, goods or property given from the bride/wife’s family to the groom/husband/in-laws before, during or anytime after the marriage. Laws should frame dowry expansively as a response to explicit or implicit demands or expectations. Laws should omit reference to “in connection with” or “in consideration of” the marriage, to ensure the scope includes all dowry demands whether explicitly connected to the marriage or not.
The Parliament of Bangladesh defines dowry as “money, goods or any property which has been given or agreed to give to the bride-groom or his father or mother or any person on his behalf, directly or indirectly, at the time of marriage or before marriage at any time after marriage in condition with the smooth continuation of marital life or as a consideration given by the side of the bride and the money, goods or property which has been demanded from the bride or her father or mother or any person on her behalf, by the bride-groom or his father or mother or ay other person on his behalf as the above mentioned condition or consideration.
Laws should not require dowry be given as a condition for the smooth continuation of marital life or as consideration. Such a requirement may prove challenging to prove because of the covert or implicit nature of dowry demands and expectations.
2. Causes of Dowry and Practices in Bangladesh
2.1 Major Causes of Dowry
§ Because of the Illiteracy, most the people are unaware of the effect of dowry.
§ Dependence on husband and living on their income, social corruption and so on are the main causes of dowry.
§ In a town, people think that giving dowry in a marriage creating more status in society.
§ In a village, most of the people think Dowry is their legal right which has to pay the daughter’s family in a marriage.
§ In a village, Poor parents consider any expenses for educating a girl unproductive as she leaves their family after marriage.
§ In the village if brides are not beautiful to look at or if they get late married then they are to give a lot of money as dowry to the bridegroom.
§ Lack of decision making the power of women’s in the family because in Bangladesh families are ruled by the father .Because of that the position of woman in a family is much disagreed.
§ Lack of women’s Education in Families is the reason for giving dowry.
§ Poverty is the main causes behind dowry because most of the people in Bangladeshi are poor. They often take dowry to reduce their Poverty.
§ Sometime bridegroom wants money to do business or want to make his life settle with that money.
§ The giving of a dower seems to be an established Bangladeshi cultural institution. The wife is expected to bring suitable gifts (monetary or otherwise) with her to her new home or shoshurbari.
§ The narrow mentality behind the dowry system.
§ The negative attitude towards the women
§ Women are less independent than men. In Bangladesh; most of the women are housewives and have less economic power to control the family. Because of dependency, women become a burden on a family.
§ Women would spend a good life in husband’s house if dowry paid in marriage.
2.2 Social Factors which contributed for Dowry Practice in Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, a bride's family is often expected to bring a dowry of money or goods to the marriage. The practice was outlawed 30 years ago, but it remains widespread, especially in rural communities. Failure to pay dowry, or to pay enough, often leads to violence and the deaths of hundreds of women every year (Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), 2000).
Dowry-related violence – including torture, acid attacks and even murder and suicide – also stigmatises women, the group says. In the first half of 2009, 119 cases of dowry-related violence, including 78 deaths, were reported, said Ain O Salish Kendro (ASK), a local NGO working for human rights (Nagaraja, 2012).
In 2008, 172 women were killed, and the figure for 2007 was 187, ASK said, adding that there were at least five reported cases of women committing suicide in the first half of this year when dowries went unpaid. “There are terrible stories of suffering,”
§ Social Security:
The idea of social security as it is prevailing in our society is also responsible for the persistence of dowry. If there is some unhappiness and quarrel happen within two families, because of no- payment of dowry and the wife or her father fails to pay dowry; she has to get back to her father’s house. To be sent to the parent’s house can result in divorce or separation, which leads to being socially disregarded by her environment.
§ Being separated or divorced:
A woman losses her guardian and her bread-winner, which can result in impoverishment for her. Women in this country cannot easily get a job as they would have to leave the private sphere to do so, which is not allowed to them according to the ideology of purdah. It is also quite impossible for a woman to find a new husband as she is not fulfilling the ideal of purity anymore.
Again, women victim of violence for dowry demands, in majority cases, do not complain to the police because when her complaint reaches her husband’s ears, all hell might break loose in her life. If a wife is thrown out of her house by her husband, and she has no income or education, she has no option but to stay with her father.
This becomes not only a matter of financial strain but also sometimes a matter of shame for her father’s family. (Ariyathilaka Ruwanthika Kaushayla, 2006) For these reasons, the wife and her parents family fulfil dowry demands of the husband at any cost, and thus dowry prevails.
§ Unemployment and Poverty:
Poverty and rising unemployment among young male in rural areas in Bangladesh have a close relation with the institution of dowry. Marriage and dowry are seen as a source of learning for them. At one time, parents would want a son to becoming an earning member of the family, but, as now the possibilities of securing a job being reduced in a competitive job market, they consider the taking of dowry through marriage as the only source of their possible income (Anderson, 2007).
§ People Consider Dowry as a Custom:
Dowry has now become a recognised part of marriage transaction in Bangladesh. People think that as dowry has become a custom, they should also abide by it and they consider it is their duty to pay a dowry to keep the long- practised alive (UNICEF, 2011). They do not want to be seen as rebelling against traditions. Dowry is practised in wealthier as well as highly educated families, too. The husband usually does not explicitly ask for payment, but the bride’s family uses the dowry to show wealth and status and also to honour the bridegroom’s family.
§ Imbalance Ratio of Men and Women:
Some authors tend to show that dowry still persists because of demographic effects of declining mortality in a population in which men marry women from younger cohorts than their own. As mortality falls, younger cohorts will increase relative to older cohorts, leading to a surplus of marriageable females.
Higher ratios of males to females are positively associated with the increase in dowry payments. Dowry occurs when there are more women than men in the marriage market. Women have to offer a dowry to be able to compete on the marriage market. Even in societies where there is no significant disproportion between men and women, like Bangladesh, If people believe that there are more women than men on the marriage market, they will act corresponding to this belief.
Social and cultural ideas about men, women and marriage are also significant for creating an imbalance between marriageable men and women. In rural Bangladesh, the socially accepted marriage age for a woman is lower than for a man. As the norm is that a man should marry a woman who is several years younger than him, this creates a tighter marriage market for women than men (Huda, 2006).
§ Hypergamy:
One of the reasons for the persistence of dowry is the increased competition for high-quality grooms. Some parents want to raise their status by marrying the daughter into a higher-status family, a practice known as hypergamy (Anderson?2007). Notably, it has been observed that the size of the dowry rises steeply in step with the desirable qualities of the son-in-law. By giving large dowries and spending large sums in their daughters' weddings, they can display their wealth publicly as well as secure a prestigious groom for their daughter. This practice was mimicked by less affluent groups as a strategy of gentrification.
§ Dowry Enhances Women's Status:
There is a misconception prevailing in our society that dowry enhances women’s status in her in laws family. It is considered as seed capital for the new family and father of the bride hopes that dowry will establish his daughter’s position and she will live a happy life. In some case parents pay dowry where the bride is of deep complexion or less attractive or mentally or physically disable as compensation to the grooms family.
§ Dower Is Considered As Pre-Mortem Inheritance:
According to Hindu law of inheritance, daughters do not inherit father’s property .So parents marry off daughters with a much of wealth and much of money in the form of dowry as dowry is the only possibility to receive any possessions from the daughters father, the husband or his family try to take advantage of the opportunity.
However, Muslim law allows daughters to inherit and they get half of the share of the son. But after their father’s death women often renounce their claim of the inheritance in order to assure the positive relation to and the support by their family. According to this approach, Hindus as well as Muslims perceive dowry as a form of premarital inheritance.
§ Payment of Dowry Has Become a Vicious Cycle:
Dowry, in Bangladesh, now has almost become a custom. A family who gives dowry to their daughter also takes dowry from their daughter in law. The logic is that as they are giving their daughter dowry, they should also take dowry from their daughter in law and thus it has become a vicious cycle of exchange of dowry.
§ Moral Defects:
The recent emergence of dowry among Bangladeshi Muslims is more due to simple greed and commercialization of marriage than the impact of traditional culture, the urge of hyper gamy and the undermining of the women's productive role. The impact of men coming into contact with a wider cash economy by going abroad has also been shown to be a significant variable for their raised expectations in marriage (Huda, 2006).
2.3 Other Effects of dowry
It has become very difficult to find a suitable match for a girl without paying handsome dowry. It has soured the relations and there are tensions, ill will and disharmony in the families. Marriage has become a kind of business and exploitation of the parents of a girl. Thus, bridegrooms are bought and sold like commodities and the girls sacrificed on the altar of marriage (Naved, & Akhter, 2008).
It is a much-unexpected situation for the bride's family members. They are to collect a huge amount of money for their daughters or sisters marriage. Sometime they are to take loan, sell their lands, furniture, ornaments and even their own house to collect the money. They are to lose many things and face many problems for this dowry system.
For this dowry system divorce, doing suicide, mental and physical tortures, number of broken family are increasing day by day. It is also affecting on the new generation. They cannot give attention in their education; cannot contribute in any development activities. It hampers their mental development.
Dowry system is against the law of equality of men and women. It is a crime to give and take dowry. But these are openly violated. There are thousands of cases of dowry every year few offenders are actually punished. It shows that laws alone are not enough. Besides laws, we need more social awareness and effective social measures.
Many women in Bangladesh fail to report violence committed against them because there persists a stigma surrounding rape, abuse, and domestic violence in the country. The police are also likely to blame the victim and favor the side of the abuser. From 2010 to 2012, the Bangladeshi police received 109,621 complaints about violence against women.
The stigma surrounding violence against women means that many women do not get the justice they deserve. In 2011, there were 420 recorded cases of rape in Bangladesh, and only 286 reached the prosecution stage (Nasrin, 2011).
3. Forms of Violence against Women for Dowry
The violence and deaths associated with dowry demands constitute domestic violence. Similar to acts of domestic violence, the acts used in dowry-related offences include physical, emotional, and economic violence, as well as harassment as means to exact compliance or to punish the victim. Victims will be best served when protected by an expansive domestic violence legislative framework that encompasses dowry-related violence. Drafters should define the scope of prohibited acts within a domestic violence framework, taking into account the dynamics of dowry-related violence. Lawmakers should include violence and harassment related to dowry demands in a definition of domestic violence. Demands for dowry should not be a requisite element in domestic violence laws, however, because of their subtle and often implicit nature (Anderson?2007).
§ physical abuse
"physical abuse" means any act or conduct which is of such a nature as to cause bodily pain, harm, or danger to life, limb, or health or impair the health or development of the aggrieved person and includes assault, criminal intimidation and criminal force (Khan, 2005)
§ Sexual abuse
"Sexual abuse" includes any conduct of a sexual nature that abuses, humiliates, degrades or otherwise violates the dignity of woman;
§ Verbal and emotional abuse
"Verbal and emotional abuse" includes- Insults, ridicule, humiliation, name calling and insults or ridicule especially with regard to not having a child or a male child; and repeated threats to cause physical pain to any person in whom the aggrieved person is interested.
§ Economic abuse
"Economic abuse" includes- deprivation of all or any economic or financial resources to which the aggrieved person is entitled under any law or custom whether payable under an order of a court or otherwise or which the aggrieved person requires out of necessity including, but not limited to, household necessities for the aggrieved person and her children, if any, stridhan, property, jointly or separately owned by the aggrieved person, payment of rental related to the shared household and maintenance.
Disposal of household effects, any alienation of assets whether movable or immovable, valuables, shares, securities, bonds and the like or other property in which the aggrieved person has an interest or is entitled to use by virtue of the domestic relationship or which may be reasonably required by the aggrieved person or her children or her stridhan or any other property jointly or separately held by the aggrieved person (Khan, 2005).
Prohibition or restriction to continued access to resources or facilities which the aggrieved person is entitled to use or enjoy by virtue of the domestic relationship including access to the shared household.
4. Types of Domestic Violence in Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, a bride's family is often expected to bring a dowry of money or goods to the marriage. The practice was outlawed 30 years ago, but it remains widespread, especially in rural communities. Violence grows out of inequality within marriage and reinforces male dominance and female subordination within the home and outside it.
Various researchers, advocates, and theorists who have studied and worked with women subjected to abuse have catalogued many types of abuses as domestic violence. Domestic violence is defined as a pattern of behavior in a relationship by which the batterer attempts to control his victim through a variety of tactics. Failure to pay dowry, or to pay enough, often leads to violence and the deaths of hundreds of women every year. There are different forms of abuse and exploitation in defining domestic violence perpetrated by intimate partners and other family members- “Physical abuse such as slapping, beating, arm twisting, stabbing, strangling, burning, choking, kicking, threats with an object or weapon, and murder. It also includes traditional practices harmful to women such as female genital mutilation in African society or honor killings as well as sexual abuse such as coerced sex through threats, intimidation or physical force, forcing unwanted sexual acts or forcing sex with others.
Psychological abuse which includes behavior that is intended to intimidate and persecute, and takes the form of threats of abandonment or abuse, confinement to the home, surveillance, threats to take away custody of the children, destruction of objects, isolation, verbal aggression and constant humiliation. Economic abuse includes acts such as the denial of funds, refusal to contribute financially, denial of food and basic needs, and controlling access to health care, employment, etc. More than 35 million people in Bangladesh, around a quarter of its population, face acute poverty and hunger. It is the poor who really suffer economically and socially as a result of the practice of dowry (Nasrin, 2011).
The custom of paying a dowry to the future husband's family when a daughter is married is illegal in Bangladesh, but is still practiced by most families living in rural areas. Payment is normally upwards from 20,000 Taka (around 190) and since typical earnings are only 100 Taka (94 pence) per day, this can be a major contributor to poverty for many families with daughters (Naved & Akhter, 2008).
The trend of rising dowries, commonly referred to as dowry inflation, has received much attention, as payments can represent multiple years' worth of a family's income and often cause severe destitution of households with daughters of marriageable age.
Through this custom the bride has to give a large amount of money, furniture, ornaments and many things to the bridegroom. It is a very terrible situation for the society. Women & their family suffer a lot for this dowry system. The money of dowry is often raised by the sale or mortgaging of land at low prices. It also includes livestock, trees, household goods and family jewelry and as well as loans from NGOs and moneylenders at high rates of interest.
Disputes over dowry payments have led to numerous cases of dowry violence against brides, resulting in injuries and even death. There are many severe consequences resulting from the payment of dowries. First, failure to meet the dowry demands or the new demands often results in verbal and physical abuse of the wife. Physical abuse includes beating; burning with cigarettes, withholding foods, sleep deprivation and denial of medical treatment. The abuse may be meted out by the husband or members of his family, especially his mother. Verbal abuse may include starting rumors about the character or behavior of the wife and often the girls feel unable to disclose the situation to her parents. If the physical abuse continues and worsens, this may lead to the wife committing suicide.
Dowry-related violence is particularly problematic in Bangladesh. A survey conducted by Naogaon Human Rights Development Associations (NHRDA) revealed that 84% percent of the cases it received in 2000 were dowry related wife battering cases. In 2001, 173 girls and women were killed due to dowry demand with 79 of these victims below the age of 18 (Nasrin, 2011).
Repression of women for their inability to bring adequate or repeated installments of dowry from their poor parents and resultant deaths or grievous injuries is rather disquietingly frequent.
5. Laws and Prevention of Dowry in Bangladesh
5.1 laws in Bangladesh
In 1980, Bangladesh banned dowries, and sanctions were imposed: Those taking or demanding a dowry face imprisonment, a fine, or both. But the practice continues. In some cases, the law is effective and in some cases it is not. Mainly for lack of cooperation from the family members, women do not get the required support from the law
Others blame the government. Of course there is a law, but this law has been ineffective given the dysfunctional nature of the country’s judicial system,
More leaders, social groups, men and women should be involved in the movement against the evil. People who practice dowry system should be socially boycotted. Women organizations should hold demonstrations against such people.
The registration of marriage should be made compulsory. Young men and women should be made to take a pledge against the evil. Group and community marriages can also help in removing the evil.
The women should refuse to marry the men who demand dowry. More and more women should be encouraged to take employment and become economically independent. The percentage of literacy among girls and women is very low. This rate should be increased. More schools, colleges and training institution for women should be opened. There should be free education for women up to the university level. Spread of literacy and education among women can prove a great weapon against dowry.
The women themselves should come forward and fight against the practice of dowry. They should know their rights, privileges and strengths. They should stop thinking in terms of a weaker sex. They should revolt and expose dowry practitioners. They should stand on their own feet and fight for their rights.
The young men should frankly reject the demand for dowry from their parents. Demand for dowry reduces a party to a status of a beggar. The evil should be fought both on the levels of law and society. A very strong propaganda and movement are needed to eradicate the evil forever.
We should change our outlook, mentality by our Law rules. Narrow mentality of the greedy people should be changed and a hard punishment should be given to them.
But good thing is that, at present our Government is aware about it. Therefore this system is changing. In the past it was so high in our country. Now we have a law that who will give dowry and take dowry all will be known as a criminal.
5.2 Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act, 2010
Domestic violence:
For the purpose of this Act, domestic violence means physical abuse, psychological abuse, sexual abuse or economic abuse against a woman or a child of a family by any other person of that family with whom victim is, or has been, in family relationship.
Explanation:
For the purpose of this section- "Physical abuse"- that is, any act or conduct which is of such a nature as to cause bodily pain, harm, or danger to life, limb, or health or impair the health or development of the victim and includes assault, criminal intimidation and criminal force (Bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd, 2017);
"Psychological abuse"- that includes but is not limited to:
(I) verbal abuse including insults, ridicule, humiliation, insults or threats of any nature;
(II) harassment; or
(III) controlling behavior, such as restrictions on mobility, communication or self-expression;
"Sexual abuse: that is, any conduct of a sexual nature that abuses, humiliates, degrades or otherwise violates the dignity of the victim (Chowdhury?2010);
"Economic abuse: that includes but is not limited to:-
(I) Deprivation of all or any economic or financial resources or property to which the victim is entitled under any law or custom whether payable under any law or custom or an order of a court or any other competent authority;
(ii) Not allow to use the articles of daily necessities to the victim;
(iii) Deprivation or prohibiting the victim from applying legal rights to her stridhan or dower or alimony or any consideration for marriage or any property owned by the victim;
(iv) transferring without consent of the victim or prohibiting the victim from applying legal rights to any assets whether movable or immovable owned by her;
(v) Deprivation or prohibiting the victim from applying legal rights to continued access to resources or facilities which the victim is entitled to use or enjoy by virtue of the family relationship (Tabassum, and Persson, 2010).
5.3 Other steps against Dowry
Start practicing dowry prohibition in family. Educate the members of family with the provisions of law that demanding and accepting or giving dowry is an offense.
If in any family there is a growing dispute between the in-laws and the women should, try to intervene to sort out the differences and educate them about the evils of dowry system.
Informing the jurisdictional police and counseling centers. Providing support and shelter to the lady in distress. Contacting the Women organizations who can provide support in such cases.
In case of any suspicion of ill treatment of a lady in any house, immediately inform the local Police. Women in distress, generally avoid showing their resentment to ill-treatment till it reaches a dangerous point leading to their being burnt to death.
Encouraging women folk to raise their voice about their rights and to fight against dowry system.
It shows that only law is not enough to protect the women against injustice. It needs social awareness and effective measures (Chowdhury?2010).
§ The registration of marriage should be made compulsory.
§ The women and their parents should refuse the men who want dowry.
§ Men and women should promise against the dowry system.
§ We should create a movement and strong public opinion against the dowry system.
Besides, government and NGOs should be involved in the movement against the course. People who practice dowry system should be socially boycotted. Dowry is a very harmful system in our country .Because of dowry women are badly treated in their laws house (Bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd, 2017) .Sometimes they are killed, injured, abused and so on. We should stop the system for future success.
- To stop this we should telecast the bad effects of dowry in mass media.
- To increase social value, women’s education, reduce poverty and so on.
- To ensure the legal action against dowry.
Conclusion
Dowry-related violence is a common feature in Bangladesh, affecting the lives of many women. Other than specific acts of violence such as killings, torture, the throwing of acid and the like, dowry demands affect the lives of women socially and culturally in a much deeper manner (Young, and Hassan, 2016). Fundamentally, they undermine the equality of women and create culturally accepted forms of discrimination against them. They can affect the life of a girl from the very start. Preference for boys often begins with the parental realization that the burden of finding dowries falls on them as soon as the child is born. Thus, the devaluation of a child takes place in culturally subtle forms from the very beginning. The institution of dowry has spread into our society like a disease. This so called disease is sometimes so severe that we do not even hesitate to abort our female child by sex determination in the womb as we are not willing and able to bear the future burden of the female child. It seems as if discrimination begins from the very existence of the fetus in the womb. After examining all the back ground reasons it is prominent that the institution of dowry now has become a social problem which is connected with various social, economic, cultural and psychological factors and also some wrong religious conceptions. The practice is also influenced by some common problems like corruption, poverty, unemployment. As long as these concrete causes are not targeted, mere implementation of laws will not reduce the practice. Hence strategies have to be planned with due consideration to these factors; otherwise dowry will continue to perpetuate miseries in the lives of hundreds and thousands of women’s lives. Apart from legal sanctions, to stamp out dowry system the initiative must start from the women themselves.
As their life and dignity are at stake, they should be made the most significant actor in this struggle. Therefore effective encounter to this evil will be successful through women empowerment by ensuring education, legal literacy and thereby motivate them to recognize their capacity and rights. Local community and civil society should play strong role in developing newer form of cultural norms that respect women and promote their safety and dignity. Creating awareness about the evil of dowry on communities conveys the importance of rooted out dowry system in the society.
References
1. Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK). (2002). Human Rights in Bangladesh 2000. Dhaka: ASK, 147-183. Akbar v State (1999) 51 DLR 264.
2. Anderson, S. (2007). The economics of dowry and brideprice. 1st ed. Estados Unidos: American Economic Association.
3. Bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd. (2017). Dowry Prohibition Act, 1980 (Act No. XXXV of 1980).. [online] Available at: https://bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd/pdf_part.php?id=607 [Accessed 5 Mar. 2017].
4. Chowdhury, F. (2010). Dowry, Women, and Law in Bangladesh. International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family, 24(2), pp.198-221.
5. Domestic Violence against Women and Girls. (2000). 1st ed. [ebook] 2. UNICEF. Available at: https://www.unicefirc.org/publications/pdf/digest6e.pdf [Accessed 5 Mar. 2017].
6. Dr.Nagaraja.S, D. (2012). Dowry System Practices Among Tribal Community. International Journal of Scientific Research, 3(3), pp.358-359.
7. Huda, S. (2006). Dowry in Bangladesh: Compromizing Women’s Rights. South Asia Research, 26(3), pp.249-268.
8. Khan, F. (2005). Gender violence and development discourse in Bangladesh. International Social Science Journal, 57(184), pp.219-230.
9. Nasrin, S. (2011). Crime or Custom?: Motivations Behind Dowry Practice in Rural Bangladesh. Indian Journal of Gender Studies, 18(1), pp.27-50.
10. Naved, R. T., & Akhter, N. (2008). Spousal violence against women and suicidal ideation in Bangladesh. Women’s Health Issues, 18 (4): 442-452.
11. Tabassum, R. N., and Persson, L. (2010). Dowry and Spousal Physical Violence Against Women in Bangladesh. Journal of Family Issues, 31(6), pp.830-856.
12. Young, K. and Hassan, S. (2016). An Assessment of the Prevalence, Perceived Significance, and Response to Dowry Solicitation and Domestic Violence in Bangladesh. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, p.088626051663321.
13. Zaman, H. (1999) Violence against Women in Bangladesh: Issues and Responses, Women’s Studies International Forum, 22(1): 37-48