Dowry Death, a Global Issue that Demands Action

Abstract

Dowry may be broadly defined as gifts and valuables received in marriage by the bride, the bridegroom and his relatives. Though the main cause of dowry is the desire and aspiration of every parent to marry his daughter in a higher and a rich family to keep up or to add to his prestige and also to prove comforts and security to the daughter but the endless demands for cash or kinds slowly brings inevitable sorrows for the girl. All these factors provide a cumulative effect to increase the number of unnatural death in married women. In the present study, we have tried to find out various factors responsible for increasing incidence of dowry death in our society. We have studied 72 cases where married women had died within 7 years of married life with alleged history of dowry. The autopsies were conducted at the mortuary of Shimoga Institute of Medical Science (SIMS), Karnataka during the year of 2013 and 2014. Maximum incidence of alleged dowry death was found in the age group of 20 to 29 years, during first three years of marriage, among victims with lower educational status, and where the occupation of their husband was business. Commonest cause of death was burns, followed by poisoning and hanging. Based on the findings of our study, we have formulated suggestions to concerned authorities to decrease the incidence of dowry death.