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Bride Burning, Murders and Dowry Pressure in India

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Bride Burning, Murders and Dowry Pressure in India
Jordan Lamb
October 13, 2010
Research Paper Outline

Bride Burning, Murders and Dowry Pressure in India

I. Women in India are exposed to heinous acts of abuse. A. Women in India have become victims of human rights abuse. B. Different components of Bride-Burning

II. Extent of the Problem A. Statistical Analysis of the number of Dowry Related deaths B. Under Reporting of Cases C. Inconsistencies between police reports and Victim Accounts D. Dowry Pressure leads to Suicide for some dowry harassed victims

III. Causative Dynamics in Bride Burning A. Rigidity of Divorce law B. Maintenance of Socioeconomic Status C. Unemployment and poverty of Husband and In-laws a. Violence correlation to survival b. Economic Dependency of women

IV. Different solutions to resolve the problem A. Legal Action 1. Legal Aid for victims 2. Strict Enforcement of Law for Offenders B. Social Action 1. Women’s Education 2. Social Boycott and Humiliation of Dowry Murder Families

V. Conclusion

Bride Burning, Murders and Dowry Pressure in India The subordination of women in India has caused them to become the victims of the human rights abuse, bride burning. The subject of bride burning in relation to dowry has been the site of controversy in India in recent years. As reported by Virendra and Kanth, “The nature and extent of this crime can be considered as a barometer of social health.” The incidences of unreported or poorly documented cases classifies bride burning as a disregarded public health concern. This paper examines the extent of this social issue, its leading contributive factors, and several possible solutions. In their historical review of dowry, Virendra and Kanth (2004), found that origins of dowry can be traced back thousands of years. They conclude that the bestowing of dowries is “an ancient tradition that cuts across many social strata and geographic areas”. It consists of an ongoing series of gifts,


Cited: Kishwar, Madhu. “Destined to fail.” India Together. Civil Society Information Exchange Pvt. Ltd. October 12, 2010. http://www.indiatogether.org/manushi/issue148/dowry.htm Kumar, Virendra, and Sarita Kanth. 2004. "Bride burning." Lancet 364.: 18-19. “Violent Crimes” National Crime Records Bureau. Downloaded October 11, 2010. http://ncrb.nic.in/crime2004/cii-2004/CHAP3.pdf Rastogi, Mudita, "Dowry AND ITS LINK TO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN INDIA: Feminist Psychological Perspectives," Trauma, Violence & Abuse (January 2006). Sanghavi, Prachi, Bhalla,Kavi and Veena Das. 2009. "Fire-related deaths in India in 2001: a retrospective analysis of data," Lancet 373.9671: 1282-1288. Umar, Mohd. “Bride Burning in India: a socio legal study. New Delhi: A.P.H Publishing Corporation, 1998
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