A dowry (known as jahez) is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings to her husband in marriage.

Forced financial and material arrangement to be given by the parents of the bride to the parents of the groom or the bridegroom himself as an essential condition

of the marriage

A pre-existing custom, prescribing only regulations for how it was to

be handled

• As time went on, the dowry developed various functions

• Romans have specific dowry laws.

Traditional Chinese and Hindu weddings also governed by rules

for dowry

Dowry originated in the upper caste Hindu communities as a wedding gift (cash or valuables) from the bride's family to the groom's family.

Dowry was widely practiced in Europe at all times. In Victorian England, it was seen as an early payment of her inheritance.

Dowry as penalty for kidnapping and rape of unmarried women

Providing dowry for poor women was regarded as a form of charity

In Europe it is still common for the bride’s family to pay majority of wedding expenses.

In India, the practice is still very common, in arranged marriages and in rural areas

Demanding dowry is prohibited under the law but the Hindu

families still demand for dowry

THE CUSTOM OF DOWRY IS VERY COMMON IN PAKISTAN AND IN SOME CASES IT IS TAKEN AS MAIN PART OF MARRIAGE

A NO OF ASSOCIATIONS ARE WORKING TO HELP THE DOWRY VICTIMS BUT THE OVERALL SOCIETY IS DOING NOTHING AGAINST THIS SOCIAL EVIL

IN ISLAM IT IS THE MAN WHO PAYS MAHER (DOWER) TO THE WOMEN

AND GIVE WOMEN (ON MARRIAGE) THEIR DOWER (MAHER) AS A FREE GIFT BUT IF THEY FOR THEIR OWN GOOD PLEASURE REMIT ANY PART OF

IT TO YOU TAKE IT AND ENJOY IT

A NUMBER OF RELIGIOUS SCHOLARS LIKE SHEIKH MUHAMMAD IBN IBRAHEEM, AL NAWAWI, UMAR IBN AL KHATTAB etc. HAD ISSUED FATWAS IN THIS MATTER

Pakistani society is governed by cultural institutions, beliefs, norms and practices.

The practice of The practice of dowry in our dowry in our society makes a society makes a girl child less girl child less welcome than a welcome than a male child. Even male child. Even today a girl is today a girl is often taken as a often taken as a burden.burden.

In our society dowry is a heavy toll on the family of the bride. It is a multifaceted deep routed gender issue

A large no of dowry cases are registered as domestic disputes and are not properly entertained.

KARACHI, Oct 13: A young girl has donated her entire dowry to the quake relief fund

While taking to THE DAILY NATION’S correspondent she told that she was victimized by her husband, mother in law and one sisters in law who burnt her because of lack of

dowry.

SAQINA

While taking to THE DAILY JUNG’S correspondent the psychiatrist told that khalida is in miserable condition both physically and mentally. She is all alone and even does not have a home to live in. O I feel so sorry for her.

KHALIDA

She tried to take her life in frint of SSP office as a protest against her humiliation by police officer when she tried to file a report against her husband.

REKHA

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RESPONDENTS NUMBER PERCENTAGE

MALE 19 60%

FEMALE 12 40%

TOTAL 31 100%

• Yes replies = 370.• No replies = 250.• Don’t know replies = 31.• Total replies = 651.

Standard deviation = 126 31 = 2.016 or 2

-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

Yes replies

370 57%

No replies

250 38%

Don’t know replies

31 5%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Yes No Don't know

• Dowry should be equitable (reasonable)

• It should not be considered as a symbol of status.

• Dowry should be given away according to one’s status.

• The rich should consider what he is doing while giving away expensive dowry

• The husband and the wife should mutually make any adjustment to dowry.