A dowry (known

as jahez) is the
money, goods,
or estate that a
woman brings to
her husband in
marriage.
Forced financial and
material arrangement
to be given by the
parents of the bride to
the parents of the
groom or the
bridegroom himself as
an essential condition
of the marriage
A pre-existing custom, prescribing
only regulations for how it was to
be handled
• As time went on,
the dowry
developed
various functions
• Romans have
specific dowry
laws.
 Traditional Chinese and Hindu
weddings also governed by rules
for dowry
 Dowry originated in
the upper caste Hindu
communities as a
wedding gift (cash or
valuables) from the
bride's family to the
groom's family.
Dowry was
widely practiced
in Europe at all
times.
In Victorian
England, it was
seen as an early
payment of her
inheritance.
Dowry as
penalty for
kidnapping
and rape of
unmarried
women
Providing
dowry for
poor women
was
regarded as
a form of
charity
In Europe it
is still
common for
the bride’s
family to pay
majority of
wedding
expenses.
In India, the
practice is
still very
common, in
arranged
marriages
and in rural
areas
Demanding dowry is prohibited
under the law but the Hindu
families still demand for dowry
THE CUSTOM OF
DOWRY IS VERY
COMMON IN
PAKISTAN AND
IN SOME CASES
IT IS TAKEN AS
MAIN PART OF
MARRIAGE
A NO OF
ASSOCIATIONS
ARE WORKING TO
HELP THE DOWRY
VICTIMS BUT THE
OVERALL
SOCIETY IS DOING
NOTHING
AGAINST THIS
SOCIAL EVIL
IN ISLAM IT IS THE MAN WHO PAYS
MAHER (DOWER) TO THE WOMEN
AND GIVE WOMEN (ON MARRIAGE)
THEIR DOWER (MAHER) AS A FREE
GIFT BUT IF THEY FOR THEIR OWN
GOOD PLEASURE REMIT ANY PART OF
IT TO YOU TAKE IT AND ENJOY IT
A NUMBER OF
RELIGIOUS
SCHOLARS LIKE
SHEIKH MUHAMMAD
IBN IBRAHEEM, AL
NAWAWI, UMAR IBN
AL KHATTAB etc.
HAD ISSUED
FATWAS IN THIS
MATTER
Pakistani
society is
governed by
cultural
institutions,
beliefs, norms
and practices.
The practice of
dowry in our
society makes a
girl child less
welcome than a
male child. Even
today a girl is
often taken as a
burden.
In our society
dowry is a
heavy toll on
the family of
the bride. It is
a multifaceted
deep routed
gender issue
A large no of
dowry cases
are registered
as domestic
disputes and
are not
properly
entertained.
KARACHI, Oct 13:
A young girl has
donated her entire
dowry to the quake
relief fund
 SAQINA
While taking to THE
DAILY NATION’S
correspondent she told
that she was victimized
by her husband, mother
in law and one sisters in
law who burnt her
because of lack of
dowry.
 KHALIDA
While taking to
THE DAILY JUNG’S
correspondent the
psychiatrist told that
khalida is in miserable
condition both physically
and mentally. She is all
alone and even does not
have a home to live in.
O I feel so sorry for her.
 REKHA
She tried to take
her life in frint of
SSP office as a
protest against her
humiliation by
police officer when
she tried to file a
report against her
husband.
.
RESPONDENTS NUMBER PERCENTAGE

MALE 19 60%

FEMALE 12 40%

TOTAL 31 100%
• Yes replies = 370.
• No replies = 250.
• Don’t know replies = 31.
• Total replies = 651.
Standard deviation = 126
31
= 2.016 or 2

-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
Yes 370 57%
replies
No 250 38%
replies
Don’t 31 5%
know
replies
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Yes No Don't know
• Dowry should be
equitable
(reasonable)
• It should not be
considered as a
symbol of status.
• Dowry should be
given away
according to
one’s status.
• The rich should
consider what he
is doing while
giving away
expensive dowry
• The husband
and the wife
should mutually
make any
adjustment to
dowry.