Asian Economic and Financial Review 2(7):784-794

Asian Economic and Financial Review

journal homepage:http://aessweb.com/journal-detail.php?id=5002

DOWRY SYSTEM IN PAKISTAN

Shazia Gulzar1
Muhammad Nauman2
Farzan Yahya3
Shagafat Ali4
Mariam Yaqoob5

ABSTRACT
This research paper argues on the evil of dowry system and its impact on Pakistani civilization.
The objectives of this research were to substantiate the effect, favoritism and involvement of people
in Dowry system. This research notified that dowry creates imbalance in the status of women and it
affect women mentally and physically. Dowry is also a cause of endorsing greed and conflicts in
the society. Majority of people are involved in dowry system whether they are educated or
illiterate. However, most of the respondents are against this system. Simple random sampling
technique and questionnaire as a data collection instrument has used to accomplish this research.
Furthermore, reliability analysis has applied to verify the reliability of scale and chi-square has
used to check the association of demographics with research questions. Results have been
discussed in the light of Pakistani cultural context.
Key Words: Dowry, Cronbach's Alpha, Chi-Square, NGOs

INTRODUCTION

Marriage plays an important role in human life. As it is a turning point of life. It leads to many
problems in life after marriage but before marriage there is a big deal that can affect life after
marriage in Pakistan that is dowry system. Among the societal tribulations that triumph and
infecting Pakistani society, the dowry system plays the most significant role. It is sprawling its
tentacles far and ample in the society distressing almost every segment of the society and it is
especially prevalent in Pakistani culture.

Dowry is no longer a set of gift items intended for contributing towards a suitable beginning of the
practical life of a newly married couple. Copious and loud marriages, designers‟ items studded
bride, bridegroom and other family members, many course meals etc. all put up with the dowry
system .In a country where an immense majority of populace lives beneath poverty line and is
devoid of basic human requirements like water, sanitation, and electricity, health and education the
increasing leaning of such exhibiting marriages is adding miseries in society.

1
Lecturer, Lahore Business School, The University of Lahore
2
Lahore Business School, The University of Lahore
3
Lahore Business School, The University of Lahore
4
Lahore Business School, The University of Lahore
5
Lahore Business School, The University of Lahore

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The dowry system is a great evil that still exists in Pakistan. It is an act of discrimination against
unmarried girls, whose values are defined based on the prices of their respective dowries. It is an
example of greed and selfishness and is a great curse, especially for the parents who belong to the
lower middle class. This is the reason why people get depressed and feel cursed at the birth of a
daughter. The dowry system should be banned in Pakistan, just like the serving of more than one
dish at a marriage ceremony was banned and people should refuse to marry when dowry is
demanded or given. Banning this tradition leads to happier life because it is big source of stress
among parents of girls. Also it‟s not an Islamic act.

The dowry system is so intensely entrenched in Pakistani civilization that sometimes one believes
that there is no way out - at least not for one more century. Even contemporary, well-educated
families begin saving up wealth for their daughter's dowry when she is born so what can one
anticipate from the amateurish masses, whose only form of learning is custom?

When hassles for dowry are not congregated, the bride is subject to torment, and often even
murdered. The cause many parents don't wish to have daughters is because of the dowry they will
have to reimburse at her marriage, and the strain they go through due to never ending loads from
her in-laws.

DISADVANTAGES OF DOWRY SYSTEM

Main disadvantages of dowry system:

1. People from very poor family when demanded dowry for their girls at marriage, they
involve themselves in pleading. Even though they lose their self-esteem, they are begging
mosque to mosque, store to store.
2. Women become mentally affected as they could not meet the amount of dowry and they
continually tortured by her in-laws.
3. Due to dowry system, neither the poor people get married their daughters nor they cease
them at their home. In addition their age is passing bit by bit. To avoid the misfortune and
grief, they suicide themselves.
4. To meet the demand of dowry some lower class family girls try to earn money from evil
and unethical ways.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Dowry system is one of the most prevalent sins in Pakistan. This is not today‟s problem that people
are facing but in actual this problem has affected people from centuries. Women‟s rights have been
exploited on the name of dowry system. So many girls in Pakistan stay unmarried because their
parents cannot meet the demands. The existence of (gross) dowry has been interpreted as evidence
that women pay for marriage (Tertilt, 2005). The idea that a woman should receive a marriage
settlement from her family is long-established in India. Classical Hindu texts have identified such
property as Stridhanam, and it may be regarded, according to Khare, as 'part of the sacred cultural
concept of kanyadan' (lit. 'Gift of a maiden' in marriage).

Tambiah argues that 'dowry connotes female property or female rights to property which is
transferred at a woman's marriage as a sort of pre-mortem inheritance‟. It refers to the traditional
items, such as jewels, cooking vessels or other household goods, and clothes which accompany a
bride to her conjugal home. (Tambiah, 1973).

On the other hand, and perhaps more significantly, 'dowry' refers equally, sometimes exclusively,
to the 'gifts'-often conceived by the givers as demands for payment (Beck, I972)-which a bride's
parents make over to the parents of the bridegroom, or to the bridegroom himself, to enjoy as they

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or he please(s). These transfers may involve such modern consumer items as refrigerators, scooters,
motor cars, and even houses, but most frequently the transactions are reported to be in cash.

The rise in dowry payments in India has been taken as evidence that women increasingly are at a
disadvantage on the marriage market and must pay for marriage. Moreover, high dowries, it is
argued, add to the plight of parents of daughters and have thus contributed to the scarcity of women
(brides). (Edlund, 2006)

The notion of dowry as a pre-mortem inheritance which is also propounded by Goody is challenged
by Madan, who prefers to regard it instead as a 'substitute for women's lack of rights of inheritance
equivalent to those of men'. (Goody, 1973)

Social anthropologists have often talked about it in ethnographies focused primarily on other
subjects, but their reasoning has usually been limited to explaining it away as a consequence of '
Sanskritization '.This is a term used by Srinivas to explain the adoption of upper-caste patterns of
behavior by members of lower castes as a means of acquiring higher social status. Since dowries
have traditionally been the common marriage transaction of the highest (Brahmin) caste,
Sanskritization explains the observed shift in regime from bride price to dowry in all the other
castes as upwardly mobile imitative behavior. Evidence suggests that the custom of giving dowry
has traditionally been more prevalent in north than in south India, and in the latter region, more
commonly found among Brahmans than others (Miller, I980).

Arranged marriages characterize the Indian marriage system; parents of a daughter are often willing
to provide a good dowry to secure a suitable husband for her, partly to avoid the prospect of the
daughter's long-term dependence on the parents (Krishnaswamy, 1995).
Muslims and members of lower status tribes, for example, are less likely than others to support the
dowry. These differences do not portend social change unless the proportions of the population in
these categories are increasing, which is not the case. (Srinivasan, 2004)

Quarrels over the dowry give rise to what newspapers portray as "dowry murders," where wives are
flamed alive by their husband's ancestors. Thus, "dowry" aggression does not pass on directly to
marriage-related expenditures made at the time of the nuptials, but to supplementary payments
demanded after the marriage by the groom's family where the husband steadily abuses the wife in
order to extort larger transfers. (Bloch, 2002).

Objectives
Our objectives of this research are:
1. To verify that to how much extent dowry system is affecting our society.
2. To examine points of view of society about dowry system?
3. To test how to control the evil of dowry system.
4. To find out how much people like this system and how much are against it.
5. To inspect why educated people still involve in this evil activity.

METHODOLOGY

Sample of the research was consisted of 102 respondents with the distribution of 49 males and 53
females. Sampling technique used in the research was simple random sampling to reduce the errors.
Finally SPSS version 16 was used for analysis of results. Dowry system assessment inventory was
used as data collecting instrument which contains close-ended questions and on Likert Scale for
more dexterity. It was indigenously developed using scientific method. Its reliability was ensured
using SPSS and α = .74 which is sound one. It also has sound criterion validity.

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Procedure
After designing questionnaire a pilot testing had done to check its precision. It showed good
reliability. Then to collect data simple random sampling technique had chosen. Data has collected
from different areas of Lahore city. Respondents include both male and female and both married
and single. Furthermore, respondents were also from different professions, education levels, ages
and income statuses.

EMPIRICAL RESULTS

Now there are descriptive and inferential analyses of research questions. First of all, there is
reliability analysis to assure the reliability of research scale.

Table-1. Reliability Analysis

Reliability Statistics
Cronbach's Alpha N of Items
0.742 25

To compute, present and conceive reliable answers after distribution of questionnaire of the
research, Table 1 shows the overall Cronbach‟s alpha of the scale items that is 0.74; this value is
above acceptable of recommended value of 0.50. Therefore, scale seems to be reliable. And it also
has sound criterion validity.
At this instant, the following table showed the descriptive analysis of collected data. It started from
strongly disagree to strongly agree. Frequency and their percentage are also shown in the below
table.

Table-2. Description of Research Questions

S.D. D N A S.A. Total

Questions F % F % F % F % F % F %
Know well about dowry
system 9 8.8 7 6.9 19 18.6 24 23.5 43 42.2 102 100
In the favor of dowry
system 43 42.2 23 22.5 28 27.5 7 6.9 1 1 102 100
Have concerned with
dowry system 16 15.7 17 16.7 46 45.1 19 18.6 4 3.9 102 100
Support dowry system in
the family 34 33.3 21 20.6 32 31.4 12 11.8 3 2.9 102 100
Prefer marriage in the
condition or compulsion
of dowry 58 56.9 14 13.7 15 14.7 10 9.8 5 4.9 102 100
Dowry system is more
common in arranged
marriage as compared to
love marriage 7 6.9 10 9.8 30 29.2 27 26.5 28 27.5 102 100
Love marriage can
overcome the dowry 16 15.7 17 16.5 37 36.3 21 20.6 11 10.8 102 100
Dowry system is more
common among
educated people as
compared to illiterate 16 15.7 24 23.5 37 36.3 15 14.7 10 9.8 102 100

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Dowry system leads the

girls to earn from
unethical ways 8 7.8 13 12.7 41 40.2 24 23.5 16 15.7 102 100
Dowry system leads to
suicide 3 2.9 16 15.7 37 36.3 35 34.3 11 10.8 102 100
Girls become mentally
affected due to dowry
system 4 3.9 11 10.8 25 24.5 45 44.1 17 16.7 102 100
Parents lose their self-
respect
under the burden of
dowry system 4 3.9 10 9.8 21 20.6 39 38.2 28 27.5 102 100
Muslims are distressing
their religion due to
dowry system 3 2.9 15 14.7 23 22.5 29 28.4 32 31.4 102 100
Dowry is a cause of
increasing greed in
society 4 3.9 9 8.8 18 17.6 35 34.3 36 35.3 102 100
Dowry is a cause of
increasing
conflicts in society 2 2 7 6.9 24 23.5 45 44.1 24 23.5 102 100
Educated people prefer
dowry system due to
custom in the society 5 4.9 14 13.7 29 28.4 36 35.3 18 17.6 102 100
Dowry system has
injected in the blood of
nation 5 4.9 8 7.8 24 23.5 36 35.3 29 28.4 102 100
Dowry system creates
imbalance in the status of
woman 4 3.9 6 5.9 23 22.5 43 42.2 26 25.5 102 100
Our youth should stand
against the dowry system 4 3.9 6 5.9 20 19.6 20 19.6 52 51 102 100
Government should take
steps to ban the dowry
system 2 2 8 7.8 20 19.6 22 21.6 50 49 102 100
Dowry system can share
the economic burdens in
society 13 12.7 15 14.7 33 32.4 22 21.6 19 18.6 102 100
Note: S.D. = strongly disagree, D = disagree, N = neutral, A = agree, S.A. = strongly agree. F = frequency

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Above table no. 2 shows research questions on Likert scale. First question is about awareness of
dowry system in general public and its result showed that people are well aware of dowry system.
Then there is a question about favoritism of dowry system in society and its outcome showed that
the people are not in the favor of dowry system. Next question is about concern of dowry among
people; its results showed the neutral point of view of respondents. Some results also showed that
mostly people do not support dowry or prefer marriage in condition or compulsion of dowry.

Comparison on arrange and love marriage under dowry system showed neutral point of view.
Moreover, both illiterate and educated people are involved in dowry as the shown in table.
Respondents have the middle-of-the-road remarks about earning of girls from unethical ways and
the suicide of girls under pressure of dowry. Mostly respondents agreed that girls become mentally
affected due to stress of dowry. Mostly people also agreed that dowry leads parents to lose their
self-respect; it may be due to collection of fund or borrowing loans from others to meet the needs
of dowry.
Most of the people strongly agreed that Muslims are distressing their religion for the reason of
dowry. The greater part of respondents also strongly agreed that dowry system promotes greed in
the society and cause of endorsing conflicts in the society. Educated people are engaged in
exploiting dowry due to custom in civilization. The majority of people agreed that the dowr y
system has injected in the blood of society, as it is an Indian Hindus custom and following in
Pakistani Muslims.

Dowry system has created imbalance in the status of women in the society as respondents agreed
about it. The large number of respondents strongly agreed that youth and government should take
stand to ban it in Pakistani civilization. At last, respondents had the neutral remarks about sharing
economic burden by dowry system in the society.

Table-3. Reason of exercising dowry

What is the main reason of exercising dowry
need greed custom compulsion Total
F % F % F % F % F %
9 8.8 50 49 32 31.4 11 10.78 102 100

Table no. 3, shows the reasons of exercising dowry in Pakistan. Results demonstrated that the core
reason for putting the dowry into effect was greed. Custom can also be a reason. However,
compulsion and need as a reason have lowest scores.

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Table-4. Control on dowry system

Preferably who can control the expansion of dowry system
youth government NGOs parents bride all above Total
F % F % F % F % F % F % F %
33 32.35 26 25.5 2 1.96 29 28.4 2 1.96 10 9.8 102 100

A question was asked about the control on dowry system and its extension. Table no. 4, showed
that youth was the most dominant vigor to control the extension of dowry system. Additionally,
government and parents of both bride and groom can control and stop the expansion of dowry
system. Nevertheless, bride and NGOs have lowest votes.

Table-5. Classes involve in Dowry system

Which class is more involve in dowry system
lower class middle class elite class Total
F % F % F % F %
17 16.7 59 57.8 26 25.5 102 100

In Pakistan there are mainly three classes according to financial distribution. Table no. 5, illustrated
the most implicated class in dowry system. Result showed that the most dominant class who
exercising Dowry system is middle class as compared to lower and elite class.

Graph: Classes involve in dowry system

Which class is more involve in dowry system

lower class
middle class
elite class

Here it is graphical representation of classes involve in dowry system. Above pie chart showed that
middle class has the greatest division who are exercising dowry. Lower and elite class has lesser
fraction.

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Table-6. Demographics Association with Research Questions

Research questions P-value
Age Dowry is a cause of increasing conflicts in society 0.001
Gender Government should take steps to ban the dowry system 0.04
Occupation In the favor of dowry system 0.033
Support dowry system in the family 0.004
Dowry system is more common among educated people as compared to
illiterate 0.039
Dowry is a cause of increasing conflicts in society 0.003
Dowry system can share the economic burdens in society 0.002
Monthly Love marriage can overcome the dowry 0.013
income
Dowry is a cause of increasing greed in society 0.03
Dowry is a cause of increasing conflicts in society 0.012
Dowry system has injected in the blood of nation 0.01
Education Dowry is a cause of increasing greed in society 0.046
level
Dowry is a cause of increasing conflicts in society 0.000
Dowry system can share the economic burdens in society 0.021

Chi-square test has applied to verify the dependency and independency of research questions with
demographics. Only significant values have chosen for concise results. Table no. 6 showed the
association of age, gender, occupation, monthly income and education level. Increase of conflicts in
the society by dowry is dependent on age, occupation, monthly income and education level as their
values are less than 0.05.

Gender has association with banning of dowry system by government. Support and favoritism
toward dowry system is dependent on occupation. Moreover, the variable, „Dowry system is more
common among educated people as compared to illiterate” is also showing dependency with
occupation. Occupation and education level both have association with sharing of economic burden
in society by dowry system. Furthermore, increasing greed in society by dowry is dependent on
both education level and monthly income.

DISCUSSION

The study examined the effect of dowry system on Pakistani culture. It is apparent that dowry gives
no benefit to society and proved as a social evil. The objectives of this research were to substantiate
the effect, favoritism and involvement of people in Dowry system. This research examined
imbalance that dowry creates in the status of women and its mental affect on women under the

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burden of dowry. Dowry was also a cause of endorsing greed and conflicts in the society. Majority
of people has been involved in dowry system whether they are educated or illiterate.

The factors that has attested as restriction to marriage, dowry is critical one. This research
demonstrates the knowhow of this evil among Pakistani civilizations and their disagreement about
favoring dowry. More or less every person in Pakistan is a victim of dowry. This research
illustrates no assistance or gain to overall society but detriment and promotion of supplementary
immorality to civilization. To evaluate the phenomenon under consideration dowry system
assessment inventory was used. The questionnaire was developed using scientific method. Its
reliability (α= 0.74) and validity was established.

The results showed that youth was the most dominant vigor to control the extension of dowry
system in Pakistan. Additionally, government and parents of both bride and groom can control and
stop the expansion of dowry system. Nevertheless, bride and NGOs have lowest votes in this
regards. It was also revealed that the core reason for putting the dowry into effect was greed.
Custom can also be a reason. However, compulsion and need as a reason have lowest scores.
Awareness regarding dowry system in general public was also evaluated and its result showed that
people are well aware of dowry system. And it was also revealed that the people are not in the
favor of dowry system. And it was also shown that mostly people do not support dowry or prefer
marriage in condition or compulsion of dowry.

Comparison on arrange and love marriage under dowry system showed neutral point of view.
Moreover, both illiterate and educated people are involved in dowry. Respondents have the middle-
of-the-road remarks about earning of girls from unethical ways and the suicide of girls under
pressure of dowry. Mostly respondents agreed that girls become mentally affected due to stress of
dowry. Mostly people also agreed that dowry leads parents to lose their self-respect; it may be due
to collection of fund or borrowing loans from others to meet the needs of dowry.

Most of the people strongly agreed that Muslims are distressing their religion for the reason of
dowry. The greater part of respondents also strongly agreed that dowry system promotes greed in
the society and cause of endorsing conflicts in the society. Educated people are engaged in
exploiting dowry due to custom in civilization and the majority of people agreed that the dowry
system has injected in the blood of society, as it is an Indian Hindus custom and following in
Pakistani Muslims. It seems to be difficult to change.

Results have also shown that dowry system has created imbalance in the status of women in the
society. The large number of respondents strongly agreed that youth and government should take
stand to ban it in Pakistani civilization. Moreover, In Pakistan there are mainly three classes

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according to financial distribution. It showed that the most dominant class who exercising dowry
system is middle class as compared to lower and elite class.

However, the results of chi- square showed the association of age, gender, occupation, monthly
income and education level. Increase of conflicts in the society by dowry is dependent on age,
occupation, monthly income and education level as their values are less than 0.05. Gender has
association with banning of dowry system by government. Support and favoritism toward dowry
system is dependent on occupation. Moreover, the variable, „Dowry system is more common
among educated people as compared to illiterate” is also showing dependency with occupation.
Occupation and education level both have association with sharing of economic burden in society
by dowry system. Furthermore, increasing greed in society by dowry is dependent on both
education level and monthly income.

However, this research has verified that “Dowry is a cause of increasing conflicts in society” is the
most crucial factor which has association with age, occupation, monthly income and educational
level.

CONCLUSION

It is concluded that dowry is an immorality in the society which must be banned in the country. It
leads toward promoting many conflicts, quarrels and greed in the civilization. Consequences of this
research show that people of Pakistan are well aware of dowry system and its evil abuses. Both
love and arrange marriage and both educated and illiterate people are practicing dowry system in
the society of Pakistan. Nevertheless, people are not in the favor of this system. Moreover, girls
become mentally affected and parents lose their self-respect under the burden of dowry. The
foremost reason for exercising dowry is greed. Middle class is one the most involved class in
dowry system as compared to lower and middle class. In addition, to control this system youth and
government both should take steps.

LIMITATIONS

The research has certain limitations in it and that are as under;

 Due to limited resources and finance only one city Lahore has been taken into account.
 Results of the study are not generalize-able as the data is limited only 102 respondents
have been taken into account.
 Data was taken only from urban areas.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

It is recommended:
 To expand this research over all the provinces of Pakistan to generalize the results of the
study. At the same time sample should be large. It is also recommended to take data from
both urban and rural areas.
 There should be NGOs that honestly make efforts to control this system.
 Government should ban this system for each and every class in Pakistan.
 Marriage is a right of every person but dowry is grasping this right. Therefore, youth
should take stand against this structure to get their rights.
 Dowry is becoming a convention in the civilization gradually. Thus, parents have to stop
demanding dowry.

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