Pakistan has the highest reported number of dowry deaths per 100,000 women in the world
KARACHI: The giving and expectation of dowry has become part of our culture, with over 95 per cent of marriages in Pakistan involving the transfer of dowry from the bride’s family to the groom’s family.
Dowry is a social evil that has caused destruction to the socio-economic structures of families. It has driven many girls to suicide to save their parents from economic burden. The birth of a girl is sometimes considered a curse and there have been cases where newborn daughters have been put to death. Dowry deaths have been rising in Pakistan for decades. At over 2,000 dowry-related deaths a year and the annual rate exceeding 2.45 death per 100,000 women in dowry-related violence, Pakistan has the highest reported number of dowry deaths per 100,000 women in the world. Some publications suggest Pakistani officials do not record dowry deaths and that the number of dowry deaths is actually significantly higher.
Pakistan’s Dowry Bill 2008 restricts dowry to Rs30,000, while the total value of bridal gifts is limited to Rs50,000. The law made the demand for dowry by the groom’s family illegal. Also made illegal was public display of dowry before or during a wedding. Unfortunately, there is no strict implementation of these laws.
Banning the dowry tradition leads to a happier life because it is a source of stress among parents of girls. Parents have to stop demanding dowry and NGOs should assist in curtailing this practice.
Salma Arif
Published in The Express Tribune, April 18th, 2016.
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