To truly grasp the impact of dowry culture in Pakistan, one only needs to listen to the stories of countless women and families crushed under its weight. What should be a joyful union often turns into a heavy burden, as the expectation of dowry looms over families like a shadow.
This harmful tradition, influenced by materialism and societal pressure, reduces marriage to a transactional event — where a value of woman is measured by the wealth her family can offer, rather than her character or achievements. The crushing psychological and financial burden of dowry leaves families desperate, while women, caught in the middle, are often subjected to rejection or cruel mistreatment. This practice perpetuates gender inequality, reducing women to objects of trade and leaving them vulnerable to domestic violence, emotional abuse, and, in some tragic cases, untimely deaths due to unmet dowry demands.
While a legal framework do exist to combat dowry demands, enforcement remains weak, and social acceptance of this harmful practice remains high. It is time to reject this toxic tradition. We must encourage marriages based on mutual respect, love and partnership. Leaders, religious scholars and educators play a crucial role in promoting alternatives such as simple, dowry-free weddings. Amassing wealth for dowry only weakens our daughters, while investing in their education and financial independence strengthens them.
It is time to dismantle dowry culture and promote marriages built on mutual respect and equality, free from the weight of financial expectations. The role of the government in enforcing anti-dowry laws is critical, but so is our collective will to eradicate this damaging custom.
Tania Shahjahan
Kamber Ali Khan
