Hardly a day passes by when one does not hear the news about a young woman taking her own life because of constant harassment by her in-laws, or of a new bride being beaten to death by her greedy husband in connivance with his family.
Despite the discouraging numbers of abuse, many women have successfully stood up against the demands of dowry and their example should be emulated by others. It is often heard that dowry is a tradition and hence socially acceptable. The girl’s parents try to fulfils all the demands so that their daughter would be at peace once she has to live with her in-laws. However, the demands gradually increase to the point where her parents are often on the verge of bankruptcy.
The government has introduced legislation to prevent this practice and has made it a punishable offense. Moreover, the act of giving dowry should also be a crime so that people stop giving in to this pressure.
Media should play a very important role in combating this social evil. Running advertisements against the custom of dowry featuring popular personalities can have a strong impact. Boys should refuse to accept dowry
