Dowry System in India
FEMALE FOETICIDE AND THE DOWRY SYSTEM IN INDIA
Devaki Monani Ghansham Women 's Studies Research Unit, School of Social Work, University of Melbourne
Townsville International Women’s Conference - AUSTRALIA
3 - 7 July 2002 ~ James Cook University “Poverty, Violence and Women’s Rights: ...Setting a Global Agenda” This international conference is for all who care passionately about improving women’s position in the world, who demand justice and full human rights for women everywhere and who believe that a feminist analysis is essential to defining a fairer globalised world.
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FEMALE FOETICIDE AND THE DOWRY SYSTEM IN INDIA Devaki Monani Ghansham Women 's Studies Research Unit, School of Social Work University of Melbourne Prepared for Townsville International Women 's Conference July 2002 Introduction The National Policy for the Empowerment of Women in India (2001) was a great achievement in the history of Indian women’s human rights. It refers to many aspects of women’s lives, and includes assurances that: ‘Measures will be adopted that take into account the reproductive rights of women to enable them to exercise informed choices.’ (6.2) And ‘All forms of discrimination against the girl child and violation of her rights shall be eliminated by undertaking strong measures both preventive and punitive within and outside the family. These would relate specifically to strict enforcement of laws against prenatal sex selection and the practices of female foeticide, female infanticide, child marriage, child abuse and child prostitution etc.’ (8.1)
Yet, gender bias is traditional in India, with some states noted for female infanticides and female foeticides. The incidence of female foeticide is rising. I wish to argue that both are due to traditional son preference and intrinsically linked to the dowry system, which has technically been illegal since 1961 (The Dowry prohibition Act, 1961).
The dowry system effectively commodified women, so they came to be
Devaki Monani Ghansham Women 's Studies Research Unit, School of Social Work, University of Melbourne
Townsville International Women’s Conference - AUSTRALIA
3 - 7 July 2002 ~ James Cook University “Poverty, Violence and Women’s Rights: ...Setting a Global Agenda” This international conference is for all who care passionately about improving women’s position in the world, who demand justice and full human rights for women everywhere and who believe that a feminist analysis is essential to defining a fairer globalised world.
1
FEMALE FOETICIDE AND THE DOWRY SYSTEM IN INDIA Devaki Monani Ghansham Women 's Studies Research Unit, School of Social Work University of Melbourne Prepared for Townsville International Women 's Conference July 2002 Introduction The National Policy for the Empowerment of Women in India (2001) was a great achievement in the history of Indian women’s human rights. It refers to many aspects of women’s lives, and includes assurances that: ‘Measures will be adopted that take into account the reproductive rights of women to enable them to exercise informed choices.’ (6.2) And ‘All forms of discrimination against the girl child and violation of her rights shall be eliminated by undertaking strong measures both preventive and punitive within and outside the family. These would relate specifically to strict enforcement of laws against prenatal sex selection and the practices of female foeticide, female infanticide, child marriage, child abuse and child prostitution etc.’ (8.1)
Yet, gender bias is traditional in India, with some states noted for female infanticides and female foeticides. The incidence of female foeticide is rising. I wish to argue that both are due to traditional son preference and intrinsically linked to the dowry system, which has technically been illegal since 1961 (The Dowry prohibition Act, 1961).
The dowry system effectively commodified women, so they came to be
Bibliography: United Nations (2001), www.un.org.rights/dpl Everett, J. (1998) Social Politics, (Indian Feminists Debate the Efficacy of Policy Reform: The Maharashtra Ban on Sex Determination Tests) Volume 5,Oxford University Press, NC USA. Kumari, R. (1989) Brides are not for burning : dowry victims in India, Radiant Publishers, 1989, New Delhi. Patel, V. (1996) Indian Women, Bombay. Rajalakshmi, T. N.(2001)Frontline,(An Act of Paper) Volume 18,New Delhi Raymond, J. G. (1994) In Women As Wombs, Spinifex, Melbourne. Report, C E.D.A W. (2001), Vol. 2002 The National Commission for Women. Sachdeva, D. D. R. (1998) Social Welfare Administration in India KitabMahal, Allahabad. Thobani, S. (1993) Misconceptions, (From Reproduction to Mal(e) Production: Women and Sex Technology) Volume 1,Voyageur Publishing, Quebec. 9