India’s Dowry System: The Economics of Gender

BY TRAVIS COULTER

Cover story for Winter 2009 issue.

Globalization has been neither an entirely positive, nor negative force for gender politics, but it can’t be denied that it has transformed the way both men and more particularly women, interact within their nations and the global society. In India, it has propelled the ancient religious practise of dowries to a modern national monstrosity, suppressing women within the society, and even putting many of them in danger; at the same time, international NGOs and the global civil society have pushed for equality and women’s rights throughout the country. Globalization is a homogenizing force, both empowering and suppressing men and women in western and developing nations; it is, however, the women of the world that are baring most of the negative aspects of globalization.

The Indian dowry custom is rooted in a deeply patriarchal and patrilineal Hindu tradition and according to political scientist Marion den Uyl, is based on the idea of gift giving. A father must give his daughter to another man without asking compensation in order to prevent the future husband from selling the daughter and treating her like cattle. From this practice grew the tradition of giving a gift as well to further ensure good treatment of his daughter. Indian sociologist Srinivas states that there were three important kinds of gifts given at this time; the kanydan or the virginal daughter, the stridhan, and the dakshina. While the dakshina represented gifts given directly to the groom, such as jewellery or clothing, the stridhan were gifts from the bride’s parents that would be the bride’s property. These gifts formed the basis for the modern dowry.

The impact that globalization has had on the modern Indian dowry system can be seen through examining two intertwining characteristics of Indian society: economic and socio-cultural forces. Through economic reforms, the Indian economy began to boom with consumerism in the later half of the twentieth century. Consumer goods such as high priced suites and new motorcycles began to represent status within the culture, and became deeply rooted in the class and caste systems. The new economic structure of continuous consumer consumption, and the cultural desire for these luxury goods quickly became an important part of the catalyst that produced the modern dowry.

Joining traditional honour based cultural practices and consumerism contributed to the spread of the dowry throughout modern India. Originally, the custom of gift-giving before a wedding was practiced mostly in the Northern regions of India, and only in high-caste Hindu marriages. The change to the modern dowry began in the mid-twentieth century, as Hindu traditions of hierarchy became dominant in all regions of India. At the same time, bride-payments, like a dowry but much less substantial in amount, became common across all parts of India, but only in higher caste relationships. With the advancement of transportation and communications systems in the 1980s and 90s the dowry system became the norm across the country. It was spread largely because of the strong Indian emphasis on family honour; the larger the dowry paid or received, the more honourable the arrangement is seen within the community. To not pay a dowry is often seen as very shameful for a family.

From its humble, religious origins, the practice of the customary dowry has grown and transformed into a modern-day atrocity. In comparison to the traditional dowry, today’s dowry has taken on many new characteristics. Where traditional dowry was given as a voluntary gift, a modern dowry is given on demand. Many Indian sociologists and cultural historians place great emphasis on the connection between the introduction of liberal markets and the increasing greed and desire for more luxury goods that plagued the Indian marriage tradition. The parents of a fortunate young male will act as his negotiators, demanding cash as well as goods, such as cars, cycles, houses, woollen suits, and even land. This change in the social marriage practice was the first step in the changing of the dowry system in India under globalizing markets and industrial influences.

The modern dowry system has several very negative impacts on the position of women within Indian households. To begin with are the obvious negative financial effects that a dowry may have on a family. By negotiating too high a price for a potential groom, a family can experience severe financial ruin, while not being able to meet a dowry payment can cause greatly damaging social effects on both the family and the daughter that is to be wed. Similarly, while a boy brings a dowry into the family wealth, a girl will result in having to pay one out. Sociologist Marion den Uyl illustrates this point in a well-known Indian saying; “Bringing up a daughter is like watering one’s neighbour’s land.” With little benefits of having a daughter, Indian women and girls are neglected and abused.

The societal burden of having daughters can be seen by examining sex ratios. Indian censuses have shown that the sheer number of females in India has been dramatically declining in recent years. While in 1991 there were 945 females under the age of seven per every 1000 males, by 2001 that number had dropped down to 927. In reality, this means that there are roughly six million more boys under the age of seven then there are girls. Statistically, only three million of this difference can possibly be accounted for by natural birth rates, leaving upwards of three million girls dead either through neglect of female children, female feticide or infanticide.

The modern dowry has also had many negative effects on women after they are married. ‘Bride-burning,’ a term used to describe the increasing number of young Indian housewives found murdered each year, has become commonplace in young marriages. Driven by consumerist greed, new evidence is showing an increasing number of young wives being burned alive within their households, supposedly due to stove explosions. After spending a year studying and living in various parts of India, women’s studies scientist Birkbeck, contends that this idea is pure nonsense; “only young wives appeared to be the victims of most stove fires, often late in the evening after the meal had been consumed.” With their wives dead in a supposed accident, young men are now free to find a new wife, and receive a new, large dowry. Considering the large wealth passed in dowries, “bride-burning” is very appealing to young men propelled by materialistic greed. Surprisingly, this mentality is largely supported within the groom’s family. The parents of Indian girls are purchasing husbands for their daughters, and when the husbands are not satisfied with the payment, their wives become expendable.
By the mid-1990s, the commercialized, modern dowry had developed from a social institution that provided some security and equality within young marriages, to a deadly reality that many young Indian women are forced to face, largely alone. Although globalization has been the driving force behind this negative transformation, globalization itself is neither a wholly negative nor a positive force. This is best shown by looking at the positive effects it has had for Indian women.

Perhaps the most obvious benefit that globalization has had on the problems surrounding the modern dowry is the work done by non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Centred around female empowerment, self-help, and education, many international NGOs work with local institutions and women to develop programs to help women learn how to gain security within their relationships. Many of the programs concentrate largely on how to find help when a relationship turns abusive, and that remaining silent will only encourage further abuses. The booming neo-liberal economy, however, has provided a new source of empowerment for Indian women generated from within the nation itself.
As the economy in India is transformed, an increasing portion of the Indian population has gained in wealth and opportunities. The same forces of globalization that propelled the Indian dowry custom to a greed driven, commercialized, and abusive tool against women, have now empowered those women who benefited from the wealth of globalization to combat violence against women through education. Hopefully, globalization will now result in a positive outcome for women in Indian society.

Travis Coulter is a third year University College student specializing in Peace and Conflict Studies.