Critical Analysis of Dowry Culture Through the Lens of Dowry-related Laws and Policies in Pakistan

Abstract

Dowry, a stark reality, still haunts the larger part of Pakistani society. Whenever a marriage takes place, the burden to provide dowry falls upon the shoulders of the bride’s parents. This particular study aims to critically evaluate the laws and policies made by the Pakistani state to curb the menace of dowry culture. The qualitative method with a particular focus on descriptive and explorative analysis was used to explore and describe the intricate issue at hand. For this, various national and international surveys, reports along scholarly articles were thoroughly analyzed to find out the underlying causes and their consequences. Until now, not only limited laws have been enacted to deal with dowry as a criminal offense but also enforcing mechanisms have been absent for the existing laws. The findings of this study implore the adoption of dowry-related laws with efficient rules of business for the sake of effective implementation.