Kitchen accidents vis-a-vis dowry deaths

Abstract

The practice of dowry has social acceptance as a part of normal marriage procedures in India. It has become a social symbol indicating status of both parties. Sadly, awareness and education, particularly of younger people and women, has not helped to ease the situation. In fact, families of people who are better educated, more qualified with foreign degrees, etc. have often demanded or given more dowry. The steady increase in the incidence of deaths due to burns in the recent years, particularly involving females, is a matter of great concern to the concerned individual, social workers and scientists, and the law enforcing agencies, in particular. The main cause of concern is the fact that newly married females constitute the majority of such deaths, although, in Indian society, females (housewives) belonging to all age groups have to work in the kitchen. The increase in burn deaths among females suggests clearly that such deaths can not always be attributed to household accidents occurring in the kitchen and may be linked with bride burning or dowry deaths.